Lance Stephenson might have found his next career move.
The former Indiana Pacer entered the cage on Saturday night for an MMA scrap against fellow NBA alum Michael Beasley — and it was Stephenson who decidedly came out on top.
Just one round into the pair’s fight at Brand Risk 14, a promotion run by influencer Adin Ross, Stephenson choked out his basketball rival and former Lakers teammate and got him to tap out.
Moments before, the two traded punches before Beasley attempted a guillotine choke on Stephenson.
However, Stephenson managed to wriggle free and get his opponent into a rear-naked choke, which Beasley was unable to break free of.
Following the fight, Beasley seemed surprised that he had gotten choked, but said he’d be willing to box Stephenson in the future.
Stephenson agreed to that deal and Beasley, whom he played against in the BIG3, jokingly threw a punch in his direction. The two also squared off in a much-hyped one-on-one game for $100,000 that Beasley won last year.
The fight card also featured a bout between Johnny Manziel and social media influencer Bob Menery, who the former NFL quarterback defeated by TKO in the first round.
Stephenson and Beasley both enjoyed lengthy careers in the NBA, including the 2018-19 season together with Lakers.
Stephenson, now 35, was drafted by Indiana in the second round of the 2010 NBA Draft and starred for Indiana before moving on to other stops around the league, including Charlotte, New Orleans and Memphis.
Beasley, 37, arrived as the second overall pick in 2008, and is best known for his productive stints in Miami and Minnesota.
Stephenson and Beasley last played in the 2021-22 and 2018-19 NBA seasons, respectively.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
