Sunday, August 15, 2010

Pacers Rookie Lance Stephenson Facing Felony Assault Charges

Lance Stephenson is a rookie player recruited by the Indiana Pacers this year and he is already facing felony reckless endangerment and assault charges in Brooklyn, New York after police say the 19-year-old banged the head of his girlfriend against a stairwell wall and threw her down a flight of stairs during an argument. Twenty-one year-old Jasmine Williams was transported to a hospital for treatment of neck and head injuries. The New York native played only one year of college basketball at the University of Cincinnati before being drafted by the Pacers in this year's draft. Stephenson faced a Class B misdemeanor for allegedly sexually assaulting a 17-year-old while he was still in high school in New York. He was also suspended from school for five days during his senior year after an altercation with a teammate. He has a two-year-old daughter, whose mother is the woman he is accused of shoving down the stairs. Would someone please tell me why the Pacers would have drafted a guy with his past transgressions if they are truly concerned about the image of their team?

5 comments:

IndyDem said...

I guess this is what we get for a 33M bailout. If we wanted quality we would have had to paid more. It's sad that the Pacers cant get themselves together. I used to enjoy going to watch them play, but it seems they are just a buncha thugs and bullys these days.. too bad I cant afford Colts tickets..
Oh well.. I like Victory Field better anyway! Go Indianas!

Downtown Indy said...

They sure know how to pick em, don't they?

Jon said...

Pro sports contract need to be written so that if a player is tried and convicted of certain actions, e.g. felony assault, then that player's contract is null an void, including signing bonuses.

Southsider said...

With his past history as you mentioned I'm thinking if convicted it's jail time. And he has a guaranteed contract....and 'crime doesn't pay'??

guy77money said...

It blows me away that the Pacers would even take a chance on a guy with a questionable background. Just another reason Larry Bird should be shown the door. If Miami wins or at least makes the finals of the NBA playoffs this year I believe it is the beginning of the death knoll of the small franchise NBA teams. It will be real interesting to see what happens with the negotiations next year in the NBA. The NFL understands how to keep both the older and younger fans. The NBA is slowly sliding down the same slope NHL hockey did. I will be curious to see if ESPN and TBS will pay big bucks to telecast their games the next time the TV contracts expire.