The text messages are still sitting there on Lance Stephenson's phone, dozens of them, dating all the way back to his rookie season with the Pacers a lifetime ago.
They came from Larry Bird, part of the two-way correspondence between the two that probably could be compiled into a book. It would be a tale of friendship, trust, mentoring, a real-life bro-mance that goes beyond the traditional formal relationship between a player and team president.
"I have them all," Stephenson says. "Neither of us ever changed our number."
They don't need to text now, although they still might.