"It ain't an All-Star Game without dat boy Lance Stephenson." With that rap star Lil Wayne pronounced his disdain for Eastern Conference all star game reserve selections.
When league officials announced reserve selections this week, Stephenson, despite leading the league with four triple-doubles and his team boasting the best conference record at 35-10 , was left off the team as a reserve in favor of the likes John Wall, Joe Johnson and Paul Millsap.
Overall, the versatile, fifth-year forward is averaging 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the front-running Central Division Pacers.
All Stephenson's teammates and coaches were almost as taken aback by his admission as Wayne.
"While his numbers don't represent an all-star, he's playing at an all-star level," teammate Paul George, voted by fans to start the game, told The Indianapolis Star. "He's making all-star plays."
Pacers coach Frank Vogel desperately tried to make sense of it all. "Lance is a lightning rod," he said of the volatile forward. "But he's matured. Does he need to grow as a player? He does. But the Pacers have the best record in the NBA and he leads the NBA in triple doubles."
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