If that was Lance Stephenson's last Pacers home game, he gave the fans a lot to remember

INDIANAPOLIS — If this was Lance Stephenson's curtain call with Pacers fans, he went out in true Stephenson fashion, giving them everything he had until he had nothing left to give.

After Indiana lost its last home of the season 131-122 to Philadelphia on Tuesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Pacers players remained on the court to recognize the crowd on Fan Appreciation Night. They autographed and tossed mini basketballs into the stands, signed T-shirts and hats, and took photos with hundreds of fans.

But Stephenson, after what could be his last home game ever with the Pacers, took it a step further by autographing and giving away a bunch of his game-worn AND1 sneakers. When he ran out of a bin full of those, the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent unlaced the sneakers on his feet and gave those away, too, before gifting one lucky fan with the ultimate prize: his game-worn jersey, which he peeled off his back, autographed on the spot and launched into the crowd.

"I'm about to be butt-naked soon," Stephenson said, laughing during an interview with Bally Sports Indiana. "Cut the cameras off!"

Stephenson didn't completely strip, but as he jogged back to the locker room shirtless and shoeless, it was evident he did everything in his power to let Pacers fans know how much they mean to him.

Stephenson was drafted 40th overall by the Pacers in 2010 and is in his third stint with the franchise. A few months ago, he wasn't even in the NBA, but after starring in the G League and earning 10-day contracts from Atlanta and Indiana, the Pacers signed him for the rest of the season in February.

"It was a process and I trusted it," Stephenson said. "I stayed with it, I stuck with it. I got off the couch, went to the G League and helped the young guys in the G League. Got out of the G League, did a couple 10-days and now I'm here, man. So it's a blessing. I stuck with it. I'm just happy, man.

"It's all God's plan."

Now, there are only two games left in the 2021-22 campaign, and beyond that, Stephenson's future in Indiana is uncertain. As the lottery-bound franchise prepares to build around budding star Tyrese Haliburton — with hopes of landing another young star in the 2022 NBA Draft — Stephenson, 31, doesn't really fit in with the team's youth movement. So, while Fan Appreciation Night is an annual event, Tuesday's may have been all Stephenson's swan song, and he took full advantage.

Before the postgame festivities, Stephenson dazzled Pacers fans by scoring 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting, highlighted by consecutive plays in the second quarter. On the first one, Stephenson raced down the court on a fast break, faked a pass to Haliburton and finished with a finger roll layup over James Harden. On Indiana's next possession, Stephenson blew by Tobias Harris with a vicious crossover, making Harris spin around, before converting an and-one layup over Georges Niang. After the shot went in, Stephenson turned to the crowd and did his signature shoulder shimmy in celebration.

"He's a folk hero here," teammate T.J. McConnell said. "To see the ovation that he gets every time he comes in, how he gets the crowd going and the type of teammate he is — I don't think people talk about that enough with Lance. He's an absolutely incredible person and incredible teammate, and we love having him in the locker room. So it's been great having him around and just makes coming into work every day great, and the fans obviously love him and that's great as well."

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle added that the relationship between Stephenson and Pacers fans is "sincere and authentic both ways" and that was easy to see Tuesday.

After a girl caught one of Stephenson's shoes that he threw in the crowd after the game, her eyes lit up in disbelief. Another young boy was standing near the court when Stephenson handed him a shoe, and when the boy turned around to show his family, he pointed and screamed, "How cool is that?"

More than a decade ago, Stephenson scored his first NBA points in front of Pacers fans during his rookie debut at then Conseco Fieldhouse; he went viral after blowing in LeBron James' ear during a 2014 Eastern Conference Finals home win; and in his home debut this season on Jan. 5, he scored an NBA-record 20 points off the bench in the first quarter against Brooklyn.

After that game, Stephenson said he gets his "powers" whenever he puts on a Pacers jersey and described Indiana as "home." His heartwarming interactions with the fans Tuesday night, made it clear that he wouldn't mind returning to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for another season and keeping it that way.

"I wish it could be better, but I feel like we learned a lot this year. We're gonna continue to get better," Stephenson said. "But this is like the most special day for all of us because all of the fans, they show us love every time, through ups and downs, and I'm just happy that I'm able to bond with them and try to make them happy as much as possible.

"(Our bond) make me wanna go out there and go hard. It make me really wanna cry because it shows how much they love how I play and what I bring to the table. So when you got that behind you, it makes you wanna go out there every time and play hard."

Follow IndyStar Pacers beat writer James Boyd on Twitter: @RomeovilleKid. Reach him via email: jboyd1@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Lance Stephenson does memorable giveaway after Pacers' last home game