LITTLE ROCK – Joe Stephens, former Little Rock basketball star and NBA veteran, is the subject of the latest Lettermen's Spotlight. In November, Stephens was elected Justice of the Peace for Precinct 3 in his hometown of Houston, Texas.
Before the recent election, Stephens was president of the Galena Park ISD School Board of Trustees and creator of the Joe Stephens Foundation, which benefits at-risk youth in the North Channel area of Houston. Additionally, Stephens belongs to the North Channel Chamber of Commerce. He has also served as a commissioner for hearing Texas Department of Transportation condemnation cases.
A 6-7 forward, Stephens played two season for the Trojans (1994-96) after transferring into the program from Colorado. He started all 30 games, averaging 12.4 points and 7.1 rebounds on the Trojans' 1995-96 squad that won 23 games and earned a bid to the National Invitation Tournament.
Stephens went on to play in three different NBA seasons with the Houston Rockets and Vancouver Grizzlies.
You were recently voted Justice of the Peace for your precinct in Houston. Can you describe that position?
It is a judge. I do everything below a Class C misdemeanor – traffic, evictions, magistrations, setting bonds for people that are on felony warrants.
What was the path that led you to this position?
I was a business owner. A friend of mine was a judge and he used to appoint me to condemnation cases with the Texas Department of Transportation. I would take evidence that was provided by litigants and render a decision with four other commissioners – sometimes up to $40 million on cases where maybe they widened Interstate 10. That was my initiation into being a judge, or somebody who ruled over cases.
Then I served as an elected official on my local school board. I have been on the school board for eight years, and two of the eight years, I have been the school board president. Then our current Justice of the Peace decided to retire, and I ran for his seat.
Of all of the things that you are doing at your job right now, what are some of your favorite aspects of the job?
Weddings. I love marrying people and just seeing the joy in their faces on that day. We get kids in here for everything from truancy to shoplifting. To be able to talk to them about my path to this seat, where I came from – which is similar to where they came from – and my career in the NBA and how that came about. I was not a Derek Fisher or a first-round draft pick, so all of this came through hard work. Being able to impart that wisdom on kids is something that I really enjoy about the job.
What are the most difficult parts of the job?
Definitely evictions. You have single-parent mothers that I have to evict from their homes and it is tough. The civil cases are tough because often times you have people who have two good cases and you have to make a decision that at the end of the day could potentially harm someone. It is a part of the job; you are upholding the constitution. I see it as my duty to my country to be fair and to render fair decisions, but that is a tough part of the job.
How did you develop an interest in politics?
It just developed as I got older and got more involved. You start to see the impact that you have on people. I owned a couple of businesses, and I have built multimillion-dollar companies and sold companies. Back in 2007, I sold a company where I was doing almost $50 million a year in loan production. I have always had the ability to lead, so this is another form of leadership.
Have there been any standout moments for you on the job?
In my 25 days here, I think the big standout moment would be I locked myself in the office (laughs). Being the new guy, I didn't have any clerks and I didn't have all of the passcodes. I locked myself where the defendants come and pay their fines. I was in there for 30 minutes, so I got a feel for what it is like to be in jail.
In terms of the courtroom, a standout moment would be my second day on the job I had an eviction docket. The woman that I evicted inboxed me on Facebook and she said, "You don't know me, but I remember you from campaigning. I met you on the campaign trail. I didn't know where you ended up, but now I know because I was in your court yesterday." She continued to say, "Even though you evicted me from my property, you did it in a manner that was very respectful. You really informed me of the process, and I was able to walk out of the court with my head high. I didn't feel like you talked down to me."
I felt like that was a big moment for me. I think you can do this job, and you can treat everyone fairly and with respect. Even if you give them bad news, you can give it to them in a manner where they feel like they were treated fairly.
What is your education beyond the bachelor's degree from UA Little Rock?
I have a Master's Degree in Business Administration. When I graduated from Little Rock I ended up getting my Master's in 2010 from the University of Phoenix. I am actually going to take the LSAT in February. So I am preparing to go and get my J.D.
What made you want to attend UA Little Rock?
I was at the University of Colorado, and I was a sophomore on a full basketball scholarship playing in the Big Eight. I was looking to transfer because I was not happy there. One of our assistant coaches, Scott Sanderson, had a brother that coached at Little Rock named Barry Sanderson. That is how I found out about Little Rock. I took a visit and one of the first guys that I met was Derek Fisher. I just went and fell in love with the place. I thought the guys were cool and that Little Rock was a cool town. They took me to Sim's Bar-B-Que and the rest was history.
As a former Trojan, do you have any thoughts on the current basketball program?
I think it is excellent. I always keep up with Little Rock, especially around playoff time. I just think it is a cool place to attend school. Coming from the Big Eight, I thought I was this big-time college basketball player. Little Rock has been able to land some incredible players throughout the years, and I am proud to be one of the few that have actually made it to competing on the NBA stage.
What was your initial connection to Wimp Sanderson?
Wimp was Barry and Scott's father. I am one of the only players to play for all three Sandersons. I always say that they need to adopt me. Wimp was the long-time Alabama Crimson Tide head coach. Wimp has probably put 20 or more guys in the NBA. He is known for coaching great athletes and turning you into a basketball player.
Even in the NBA, I have never played harder and never been in as good of shape as I was with Wimp. Whenever he comes into town for the NCAA tournament, I take him to one of the best steakhouses in town, and I talk to him three to four times a year. I love the guy to death.
He's full of jokes and just a bigger-than-life personality. I sacrificed a lot for Wimp and Little Rock, because when I came to that school I was a 6-7 3-point shooter. I could handle the ball, and I was athletic. Wimp put me in the position where I literally did not shoot one three-pointer my entire senior year. I probably was one of the best shooters on the team. I sacrificed my game. I ended up being a rebounder. I used to always defend the best player, whether it was a point guard or a center.
What advice would you give to current student-athletes?
I think I did the math at one point and I played with over 100 student athletes within my five years in college and at two different universities. I think out of those 100, less than 20 ended up getting their degrees. As a 44-year-old man, I can tell you I still keep in touch with a lot of them, and there is a stark difference in the lifestyles of the ones who got degrees versus the ones who did not. Please, please, please get your degree while you are there. Your life is completely different with it rather than without it. That would be my advice.
