Born Ready = Still Waiting: The Rise and Fall of Lance Stephenson

Recruiting analysts remain baffled. College basketball fans continue to shake their heads. And Coney Island, New York can't get over the silence. 

Why?

Well, it isn't everyday that June 16th rolls around and one can scroll down Rivals.com's Top 100 recruits and find the #11th ranked player still "undecided". Sure, late signings have happened before. In 2008, it was Devin Ebanks and 2007 had Patrick Patterson. But mid-May decisions and mid-June decisions are much different. That's implying Stephenson still has schools to decide upon. 

See this wasn't supposed to be the road for Lance Stephenson. A Coney Island native with a slender frame and cat-quick crossover, Stephenson was dubbed "The Next Big Thing" at age 14 as his name swirled around skyscrapers and street corners across NYC. His battle against O.J. Mayo at Reebok's ABDC camp made national news, where onlookers argued as to whether the pre-high school phenom de-throned 2007's best player. 

In 2006 at the inaugural Boost Mobile Elite 24 game- which included a star studded cast including Michael Beasley, Kevin Love, Kyle Singler, and Tyreke Evans- it was Stephenson who brought the crowd and received the cheers. His performance against the older players led Rucker Park MC and local legend Bobby Garcia to call Lance, "Born Ready". From there, the Born Ready was...well...born. 

Fast forward to the heat of this summer and in NYC, the Lance camp recruitment is going cold. It didn't take long for numerous coaches to realize the negatives associated in signing this prodigy. By his junior season, many recruiters had backed off, worrying about possible problems the shooting guard may bring to a team and program. A poor showing at team USA's U-18 trials didn't help. That's because Lance took an early flight home after being told he would not make the squad. Coaches said it had nothing to do with his play, but others who were able to watch the early practices disagreed saying Lance "didn't know what to do without the ball"; a cancer to team chemistry. Shortly after came the widely publicized sexual assault case which is still on-going in local court. Don't forget BornReady TV, his very own website where a camera crew documents the Lincoln High star's every move as a senior: from bringing home a state championship to getting suspended to throwing a birthday party even P.Diddy could be jealous of. 

All of these things add up to one thing- Born Ready just may be Born Problems. All his fault? Who knows. Two things aren't helping though: his entourage and local history. 

Lance Stephenson Sr. is vocal. He knows what to say and when to say and holds nothing back. It's been that way since he began answering questions for his son at age 13. He knows alla bout the potential his son brings to the table and has collected a posse of family and friends to usher Lance to the promise land. Unfortunately, it seems everybody wants in on the dream. The posse is out of control and is turning programs off because of the baggage that comes with the Stephenson gift. It's like wanting a Batman action figure for Christmas, but the only package it comes in, you're stuck paying for Joker, Penguin, and the Riddler too. 

Then of course there's the Lincoln High curse. That's right, Lance isn't the first stud to walk through the school's halls. First it was Stephon Marbury. Back in 1996, Marbury was the first nationally recognized player of this era from NYC. A McDonald's All-American, Marbury went on to play one season at Georgia Tech before declaring the NBA. Once in the league, Marbury shot around 5 times, and thanks to "attitude problems" now rides bench for the Boston Celtics and is known more for a tattoo on his head than his career 19 PPG. 

Cousin to Marbury is Sebastian Telfair, NYC's other misfortune. Telfair was a coach's dream. Rick Pitino, who earned Telfair's commitment for a short time at Louisville, was once quoted as saying, "I realize that if he puts on a Louisville uniform, he will be the best point guard I would have coached in the collegiate ranks". But the NCAA, Pitino, and Louisville fans never saw that day. Instead, Telfair's hype got the best of him as he began running with an entourage and showing up to local events with Jay-Z and Derek Jeter. The possibility of a lucrative shoe deal proved to be too much, as Telfair entered the NBA Draft and has floundered since, dealing with off-the-court issues as well. 

Seem similar to our 2009 product? Like copy-paste. 

The only difference is that Lance's career may be more endangered at an earlier stage than either of the others. Right now, he may not go to college and follow Marbury's footsteps. Released yesterday, the University of Maryland has officially backed out of the "Tour de Lance". Florida got in and pulled out late this spring. Arizona looked like a nice destination, but talks in the desert have cooled. And Memphis, in desperate need of a play maker, still isn't set on making a heavy move for Stephenson. Kansas is out and ties at neighborhood favorite St. Johns have been cut. It appears now that Lance may be in position to follow Telfair and turn pro, only in 2009, that means overseas. 

No matter what happens with Born Ready, there's no doubt he has all the tools. Unfortunately, he's surrounded by a few too. I can guarantee this, the Stephenson saga is far from over because whether he flourishes or fails, writers will continue to document this wild ride.