As Lance Stephenson partnered with his shoe endorser, AND1, to distribute shoes and clothing to hundreds of kids in his hometown’s Coney Island YMCA on Tuesday, the Charlotte shooting guard has a strengthened of confidence in fulfilling his partnership with the Hornets this season, league sources told RealGM.
Stephenson and AND1 held a holiday gifting in his native Brooklyn, and Stephenson appeared in a live one-minute video uplifting kids as he nursed an injury in Charlotte.
As RealGM first reported on Dec. 11, Stephenson has received trade inquiries from multiple NBA teams, but the 24-year-old has hoped to remain part of the Hornets. Behind Brian Shaw’s bond with Stephenson, the Denver Nuggets emerged as an interested suitor for him this season, league sources told RealGM.
Stephenson has gotten a level of assurance from the Hornets about a continued partnership, and he’s reaffirmed teammates of his commitment, sources said.
Nevertheless, before the holiday season, Stephenson made a concerted effort to revive his projects where he was born in Coney Island.
As winners of three straight games and survivors of a tough early schedule, the Hornets are three games behind the eighth-seeded Nets. Stephenson has missed the past three games – against Philadelphia, Utah and Denver – remains day-to-day with a pelvic injury and hopes to return soon.
