"Man it would’ve been special" - Chris Paul opens up on potentially getting traded to LA Lakers in 2011
Chris Paul recently said his move to the LA Lakers in 2011 would have been special had it not been vetoed by former NBA Commissioner, the late David Stern.
Paul, who played for the New Orleans Hornets in 2011, was on his way to the Lakers to join forces with the late Kobe Bryant. A three-team trade was agreed by then Hornets GM Dell Demps with the Purple and Gold.
However, the NBA owned the majority of the stake in the New Orleans Hornets, giving Stern every right to cancel that trade. Had it gone through, it would have made the LA Lakers one of the best superteams ever with the backcourt pairing of Chris Paul and Bryant.
Here's what Paul had to say about the vetoed trade to Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report in a recent interview:
"Man it would've been special. You know I'll talk about it at some point, but me and Kobe had actually got on the phone and talked about, you know, this and that, and me and my brother was about to get on a flight to fly to LA."
Chris Paul eventually joined the LA Clippers, where he paired up with Blake Griffin to start the 'Lob City' era with the Lakers' noisy neighbors.
Paul led the Clippers to great heights but was never able to make it to the NBA Western Conference finals with the franchise. They were arguably one of the best teams to not win the championship in the league's history.
Many believe that if CP3 had joined forces with Bryant, they would have easily won 2-3 championships together. The latter won his last title in 2010 with the Lakers, while Paul is yet to win one.
10 years ago today, David Stern vetoed the Chris Paul to the Lakers trade.
6 days later, CP3 was traded to the Clippers for Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu & a future pick (Austin Rivers) https://t.co/1wK7gdxGg2
Can Chris Paul help Phoenix Suns win against the likes of LA Lakers and Golden State Warriors in the postseason?
The Phoenix Suns have re-emerged as one of the best teams in the NBA since trading for Chris Paul before the 2020-21 NBA season.
Paul led them to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1993 last campaign and almost won his first chip, but the Suns ended up blowing a 2-0 series advantage to lose in six games against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Paul signed a four-year deal with the Suns ahead of the start of the 2021-22 NBA season. The 36-year-old will likely continue with the franchise until his retirement.
The Suns are currently 20-4 for the season, the second-best record in the league. Because of their performances so far, they are among the favorites to reach the Conference finals again.
Chris Paul now has the experience of playing on the biggest stage, the NBA Finals, and could very well use it to his advantage in the postseason.
The Suns have continued to trust their current roster, comprising Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton, among others, who have only developed rapidly under Paul's guidance.
So does Chris Paul have what it takes to make a run at the championship? The answer to that is yes.
It will be interesting to see how he leads the side against the likes of the LA Lakers and Golden State Warriors, the other overwhelming favorites to come out of the West this year.