When NBA Trash-Talking Goes Wrong

Lance Stephenson is the latest player to pay for his words.

LeBron James Makes Lance Stephenson Pay - Taking shots at the King can backfire. Just ask Lance Stephenson. After the Indiana Pacers fell to the Miami Heat in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday night, Stephenson took the time to trash talk LeBron James. "To me, I think it's a sign of weakness because he never used to say nothing," Stephenson told reporters Sunday of James beginning to exchange words with him on the court. Listening to Stephenson’s comments, James responded by having 32 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a 102-90 Game 4 win. The Heat now own a commanding 3-1 series lead. "I was trying to get into his head, but I guess he stepped up and got the win," Stephenson told reporters. You guessed right, Lance. Can you say when trash talking goes wrong? And Stephenson is far from the only one to flap his gums only to feel the he...

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LeBron James Makes Lance Stephenson Pay - Taking shots at the King can backfire. Just ask Lance Stephenson. After the Indiana Pacers fell to the Miami Heat in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday night, Stephenson took the time to trash talk LeBron James. "To me, I think it's a sign of weakness because he never used to say nothing," Stephenson told reporters Sunday of James beginning to exchange words with him on the court. Listening to Stephenson’s comments, James responded by having 32 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a 102-90 Game 4 win. The Heat now own a commanding 3-1 series lead. "I was trying to get into his head, but I guess he stepped up and got the win," Stephenson told reporters. You guessed right, Lance. Can you say when trash talking goes wrong? And Stephenson is far from the only one to flap his gums only to feel the he...

DeShawn Stevenson and LeBron James - Before Lance Stephenson ever tried to put the full-court press on LeBron James, there was DeShawn Stevenson. Playing with the Washington Wizards in 2008, Stevenson called James “overrated” and proceeded to throw up the Jay-Z Roc-A-Fella diamond before making a throat-slashing gesture in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference first round series against James’s Cleveland Cavaliers. The gesture was a response to Hov's own diss track made against Stevenson on behalf of LeBron. Undeterred by all of Stevenson's actions, King James would lead his Cavs to a convincing 4-2 series win over the Wizards that year. Stevenson would exact revenge. As a member of the Dallas Mavericks, he would later serve as a role player in defeating James’s Miami Heat in the 2010-11 NBA Finals. (Photos from Left: Drew Hallowell/Getty Images, Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

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DeShawn Stevenson and LeBron James - Before Lance Stephenson ever tried to put the full-court press on LeBron James, there was DeShawn Stevenson. Playing with the Washington Wizards in 2008, Stevenson called James “overrated” and proceeded to throw up the Jay-Z Roc-A-Fella diamond before making a throat-slashing gesture in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference first round series against James’s Cleveland Cavaliers. The gesture was a response to Hov's own diss track made against Stevenson on behalf of LeBron. Undeterred by all of Stevenson's actions, King James would lead his Cavs to a convincing 4-2 series win over the Wizards that year. Stevenson would exact revenge. As a member of the Dallas Mavericks, he would later serve as a role player in defeating James’s Miami Heat in the 2010-11 NBA Finals. (Photos from Left: Drew Hallowell/Getty Images, Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Ruben Patterson and Kobe Bryant - Former NBA player Ruben Patterson named himself the “Kobe Stopper” back when he played for the Seattle Supersonics from 1999-2001 for a few solid defensive showings against Kobe Bryant. But when Patterson, later a member of the Portland Trail Blazers, met Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers during the first round of the 2002 playoffs, the “Black Mamba” lit him up for 26 points and five assists per game in a 3-0 series sweep. Never write a check that you can’t cash. (Photos from Left: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images, Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

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Ruben Patterson and Kobe Bryant - Former NBA player Ruben Patterson named himself the “Kobe Stopper” back when he played for the Seattle Supersonics from 1999-2001 for a few solid defensive showings against Kobe Bryant. But when Patterson, later a member of the Portland Trail Blazers, met Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers during the first round of the 2002 playoffs, the “Black Mamba” lit him up for 26 points and five assists per game in a 3-0 series sweep. Never write a check that you can’t cash. (Photos from Left: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images, Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Ron Artest and Kobe Bryant - The 2009 Western Conference Semifinals pitted Ron Artest (now Metta World Peace) and the Houston Rockets up against Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers in an ultra-physical seven-game series. When Bryant received a flagrant foul for an elbow on Artest, the New York City-bred swingman responded by saying: “I would’ve hurt Kobe way more than he hurt me. I probably would’ve knocked him out with the same force he used against me.” Bryant proceeded to knock Ron Ron and the Rockets right out the playoffs, averaging just over 25 points per game during the series. (Photos from Left: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images,Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

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Ron Artest and Kobe Bryant - The 2009 Western Conference Semifinals pitted Ron Artest (now Metta World Peace) and the Houston Rockets up against Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers in an ultra-physical seven-game series. When Bryant received a flagrant foul for an elbow on Artest, the New York City-bred swingman responded by saying: “I would’ve hurt Kobe way more than he hurt me. I probably would’ve knocked him out with the same force he used against me.” Bryant proceeded to knock Ron Ron and the Rockets right out the playoffs, averaging just over 25 points per game during the series. (Photos from Left: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images,Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Klay Thompson and Blake Griffin - Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson set the tone for a first-round playoff series filled with bad blood by taking shots at Los Angeles Clippers superstar Blake Griffin. "He is a good guy off the court but he probably just...I mean...plays pretty physical and flops a little bit," Thompson told The Wheelhouse on 95.7 The Game radio in San Francisco before the series even began. "He flairs his arm around so you know you might catch a random elbow or something that doesn't, you know, rub off too well on guys. He's kind of like a bull in a china shop, kind of out of control sometimes. And then you do just see him flop sometimes like how can a guy that big and strong flop that much. I can see how that gets under people's skin and be frustrating to play against." Thompson’s words cost him, as Griffin averaged 23 points and ...

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Klay Thompson and Blake Griffin - Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson set the tone for a first-round playoff series filled with bad blood by taking shots at Los Angeles Clippers superstar Blake Griffin. "He is a good guy off the court but he probably just...I mean...plays pretty physical and flops a little bit," Thompson told The Wheelhouse on 95.7 The Game radio in San Francisco before the series even began. "He flairs his arm around so you know you might catch a random elbow or something that doesn't, you know, rub off too well on guys. He's kind of like a bull in a china shop, kind of out of control sometimes. And then you do just see him flop sometimes like how can a guy that big and strong flop that much. I can see how that gets under people's skin and be frustrating to play against." Thompson’s words cost him, as Griffin averaged 23 points and ...

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Paul Pierce and LeBron James - Paul Pierce went to coach Jason Kidd and asked to guard rival LeBron James before Game 2 of the Brooklyn Nets-Miami Heat second-round playoff series this year. So how did the requested assignment of guarding King James pan out for Pierce? Well, LeBron scored 22 points in a Game 2 win for Miami. He posted 28 in a loss to Brooklyn in Game 3…and exploded for 49 in a Game 4 Heat win. ’Bron averaged 30 points per game for the series, as the Heat cruised past the Nets, 4-1. Be careful what you ask for. You just may get it…and then some.

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Paul Pierce and LeBron James - Paul Pierce went to coach Jason Kidd and asked to guard rival LeBron James before Game 2 of the Brooklyn Nets-Miami Heat second-round playoff series this year. So how did the requested assignment of guarding King James pan out for Pierce? Well, LeBron scored 22 points in a Game 2 win for Miami. He posted 28 in a loss to Brooklyn in Game 3…and exploded for 49 in a Game 4 Heat win. ’Bron averaged 30 points per game for the series, as the Heat cruised past the Nets, 4-1. Be careful what you ask for. You just may get it…and then some.

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Darrick Martin and Michael Jordan - Mere basketball mortals should never talk to hoop Gods. Right, Darrick Martin? Before you ask, ‘Who?’, then-Vancouver Grizzlies guard Martin became tied to a small percentage of Michael Jordan’s lore back in 1995 when he ran past the Chicago Bulls’ bench during a regular season game and yelled “I told you we were going to beat you tonight” in MJ’s direction. Hearing that, his Airness rose up from the bench, checked himself back in the game and proceeded to drop 19 points over the last six minutes to rally the Bulls to victory. As the story goes, Jordan allegedly told Martin, “Little man, I told you not to trash-talk me." Cooold-blooooded. (Photo: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Kevin Garnett and Carmelo Anthony - One can’t bring up trash talk going wrong in the NBA without mentioning Kevin Garnett allegedly telling Carmelo Anthony that his wife, La La Anthony, “tastes like Honey Nut Cheerios.” During a January 2013 game between the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics, rough play turned to heated words. A furious ’Melo reportedly waited to confront Garnett outside of the Celtics’ locker room and near their team bus, for which he was hit with a one-game suspension. Anthony would have the last laugh, however, leading the Knicks past Garnett and Boston in a 4-2 first-round playoff series win, definitively ending the Celtics’ recent dynasty. Garnett and Paul Pierce would be traded to the Brooklyn Nets during the offseason. (Photos from Left: Elsa/Getty Images, Harry How/Getty Images)

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Kevin Garnett and Carmelo Anthony - One can’t bring up trash talk going wrong in the NBA without mentioning Kevin Garnett allegedly telling Carmelo Anthony that his wife, La La Anthony, “tastes like Honey Nut Cheerios.” During a January 2013 game between the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics, rough play turned to heated words. A furious ’Melo reportedly waited to confront Garnett outside of the Celtics’ locker room and near their team bus, for which he was hit with a one-game suspension. Anthony would have the last laugh, however, leading the Knicks past Garnett and Boston in a 4-2 first-round playoff series win, definitively ending the Celtics’ recent dynasty. Garnett and Paul Pierce would be traded to the Brooklyn Nets during the offseason. (Photos from Left: Elsa/Getty Images, Harry How/Getty Images)

Isiah Thomas and Larry Bird - Following a hard-fought, seven-game series loss to the Boston Celtics in the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals, Isiah Thomas said he agreed with Detroit Pistons teammate Dennis Rodman’s comments stating that if Larry Bird was black he “would be just another good guy.” He would have to eat those words in a public press conference with Bird and from home while watching Bird and Magic Johnson go head-to-head in the NBA Finals. (Photos from Left: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images, Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

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Isiah Thomas and Larry Bird - Following a hard-fought, seven-game series loss to the Boston Celtics in the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals, Isiah Thomas said he agreed with Detroit Pistons teammate Dennis Rodman’s comments stating that if Larry Bird was black he “would be just another good guy.” He would have to eat those words in a public press conference with Bird and from home while watching Bird and Magic Johnson go head-to-head in the NBA Finals. (Photos from Left: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images, Focus on Sport/Getty Images)