Chris Paul is one of the greatest point guards to ever play in the NBA. After 21 seasons of playing in the league, Paul has finally called it quits and will retire by the end of the 2025-26 season.
While “CP3” had a fantastic career, there is one crucial achievement he never notched: an NBA title. Despite playing alongside other stars like Blake Griffin, James Harden, Dwight Howard, and Carmelo Anthony, he never captured a ring.
However, there was one trade that could’ve changed the trajectory of his career had it not been vetoed by the late David Stern, the former NBA Commissioner.
Chris Paul Nearly Teamed Up With Kobe Bryant
Back in 2011, Paul was set to join the Los Angeles via a blockbuster trade. The point guard was supposed to team up with Kobe Bryant, potentially forming a superteam with Andrew Bynum.
Before the decision to bring Paul into the Lakers lineup, they had already won two back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010. Paul’s arrival could’ve added more titles to Bryant’s Hall of Fame career.
However, former NBA Commissioner Stern decided to veto the trade and send “CP3” to the Los Angeles Clippers instead. This angered many fans, especially considering how LeBron James formed his own superteam with the Miami Heat in 2010.
While Stern’s decision may not have made sense at the time, many are unaware of the business decision he had to make. Back in 2010, when the Hornets were still located in New Orleans, they nearly went out of business. However, the NBA decided to purchase the franchise to keep it alive.
With the league having full ownership of the team, Stern was the acting owner. With that in mind, he had to make the right decision as both the commissioner of the NBA and the owner of the Hornets.
What many are aware of is that Stern, the NBA commissioner, vetoed the Paul trade to the Lakers because he didn’t want to see another superteam form. Yes, that part is genuine. However, what ultimately led to Paul’s transfer to the Clippers was that Stern, the Hornets’ owner, believed his team would have a better future by acquiring players from the Clippers.
The goal was to sell the Hornets franchise. If the team didn’t receive anything valuable in exchange for Paul in 2011, then buyers might’ve been less interested in purchasing the franchise.
When CP3 made his way to the Clippers, the Hornets received Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Chris Kaman, and a first-round pick. While no success came out of the trade for the Hornets, it ultimately resulted in Stern’s goal of selling the team in 2012.
