The All-Star point guard reveals that he preferred to join the Los Angeles Clippers instead of the Lakers nearly a season ago….
In a recently conducted poll by Sporting News, Chris Paul was voted as the best point guard presently playing in the NBA and the player is set to appear on the cover of GQ Magazine alongside celebrities like Denzel Washington and
Javier Bardem. The issue will come out in October, and will enfold an in depth interview with the All-star point guard.
However one statement that has come forth is definitely going to stir things around Los Angeles, especially now that the rivalry has become even more intense after the Lakers’ summer acquisitions. There is no hiding the fact that
the Los Angeles Lakers had chalked up a successful trade proposal with the New Orleans to acquire Paul one season back. But due to the intervention of the NBA commissioner, David Stern who was at that time the acting owner of the Hornets, the deal could not
take place.
Paul did eventually make his way to the Staples Center but not in purple and gold jersey of the Lakers but in the whites of the Los Angeles Clippers.
The move got its fair share of criticism at that time and Stern is still considered as the man behind the nixed deal. It was taken for granted that CP3 would have naturally wanted to join the Lakers, but in his interview with the
GQ Magazine, Paul has revealed that his arrival in Hollywood happened exactly the way he wanted it to be.
"They (the Clippers) had the better pieces," Paul said. "And winning with the Clippers would be legendary."
After his arrival at the Staples Center, Paul took over the reins of a talented yet underperforming Clipper side and turned them into genuine playoff contenders within a season. They had finished 32-50 a year before his arrival
but that quickly changed and the Clips finished the regular season with a win-loss record of 40-26 before going all the way to second round of the playoffs.
Even though, they were swept aside by the mighty San Antonio Spurs in the second round, but their performances did reveal promise. And it has been this promise which has led the Clippers to rebuild their franchise around Paul as
they consider him a key figure to their future aspirations.
The statement is sure to spice up the rivalry between the two neighbours. The heat however will be on the Clips as they not only have to sustain their level of performance from last season, but will also have to counter a refurbished
Lakers roster, which is being deemed by many as the best in NBA at the moment.
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