https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPzQx0jP8Yg
Ah come on Lance, you can do better than that.
It’s become increasingly commonplace in sports on this side of the world, particularly in recent years, but trash-talking, or going to whatever lengths necessary to put your opponent off, has been used as a tactic in American sports for generations.
Lance Stephenson of the Indiana Pacers employed one of the least aggressive (but probably most annoying) intimidation tactics we’ve ever seen in Game Five of the Indiana Pacers’ play-off clash with the Miami Heat last night, blowing in his ear during a break-in play, a tactic that met with a withering response from the biggest star in the NBA right now.
Petty as it might have seemed at the time, Stephenson could argue that it had an effect as not only did the Pacers win (the Heat now lead the series 3-2), LeBron scored the fewest amount of points he’s ever scored in a play-off game (seven) in a surprisingly below-par display.
It would be stretching it to say that having Stephenson breathe in his ear was the main reason for his poor performance, but the King might have to get used to opponents whispering sweet nothings in his ear in the future…
Video via YouTube/NBA Highlights
