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[Saba Sports News] Dwight Howard and Lance Stephenson brought some serious throwback energy to their BIG3 debuts on Saturday.
The two former NBA standouts clashed during a heated moment in Howard’s first game with the LA Riot, part of the 3-on-3 league founded by Ice Cube, which tipped off its 10-week season over the weekend.
During the Riot’s matchup against Miami 305, Howard and Stephenson got into a physical altercation. After jawing at each other face-to-face, Howard gave Stephenson a shove.
Stephenson responded by lunging at Howard, who then threw Stephenson to the ground in retaliation. The skirmish led to Howard being ejected from the game.
Tensions had already been simmering earlier in the contest—fellow Riot guard Jordan Crawford stirred things up by poking his finger in Stephenson’s nose.
Howard, now 39, last appeared in the NBA in 2022 and was no stranger to confrontations throughout his career.
Stephenson, 34, also last played in the league in 2022 and built a similar reputation for stirring the pot—especially if you ask LeBron James. So when the two crossed paths in the BIG3, it played out about as chaotically as fans might have expected.