Mar 4, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Charlotte Hornets shooting guard Lance Stephenson (1) controls the ball against Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Bojan Bogdanovic (44) during the second quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Lance Stephenson says he regrets wasting opportunity to learn from Michael Jordan

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Ryan Stano | Last updated Jul 24, 2025 11:17 AM ET

During the 2014 offseason, signing Lance Stephenson away from the Indiana Pacers was a big deal, considering he had just played a big part in back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals runs.

Stephenson actually turned down a five-year, $44 million deal with Indiana, opting to sign with Charlotte for three years, $27 million. Unfortunately for him, he didn't finish out that deal with the Hornets, lasting just one season in the Queen City.

He shot 35% from beyond the three-point arc in 2013 with the Pacers, but followed that up with a horrendous 17% clip in Charlotte.

While appearing on the 7 PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony Podcast, Stephenson was asked about that year in Charlotte, and he gave an interesting answer.

"That's the only year I regret. I felt like I didn't use all of the tools I had around me at that moment to be the best player I could be, because I had Michael Jordan right there. And I didn't go to him. I never went to him."

Stephenson would go on to say that once he got paid, he felt a little too comfortable. He didn't have the same edge that he did in the early part of his career.

It probably doesn't make Hornets fans feel any better to hear Stephenson say this. He clearly didn't have the maturity to go seek out advice from the greatest player in the world, and that could have helped him get out of his slump.

In his career, Stephenson would go on to play for eight different NBA teams. His best years came with the Pacers, where he ended up serving two more stints toward the end of his career.

In that lone season with the Hornets, Stephenson played in just 61 games. He averaged 8.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. He shot just 37.6 percent from the field.