Chris Paul is considered to be one of the best point guards in the entire NBA although he has certainly had his fair share of bad luck over the years. Back in the day, Paul was supposed to be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers but the trade was vetoed by David Stern who claimed it wasn’t a fair deal. Fans were incredibly upset by the move and it made Stern an unpopular man in LA for many years. Since Stern’s passing, Lakers fans have forgiven the former commissioner for his move.
Recently, Paul appeared on Take It There with Taylor Rooks. During the interview, Rooks asked Paul about the Lakers deal that never was. Paul reflected on that time of his career and whether or not he still thinks about it. As he explained, there wasn’t much he could do although he and Kobe Bryant had made big plans at the time.
“It’s even crazier to think about now, given the situation in the past few months — losing Kobe and David Stern,” Paul said. “It would’ve been special. I talk about it at some points. Me and Kobe actually got on the phone and talked about this and that. Me and my brother were about to get on a flight to L.A. There are times when I think, ‘This would’ve been (special),’ but I can’t get caught up in that. It all worked out.”
Had Paul joined the Lakers, they would have been a serious problem in the Western Conference for many years. Instead, Paul went to the Clippers and eventually the Houston Rockets before being dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Regardless, it’s fun to imagine what could have been.
