NBA Rumor: LA Lakers Want Chris Paul Again? Kobe Bryant and CP3 Recall Failed 2011 Trade
While the Los Angeles Lakers didn't make it to the NBA playoffs this year, the team remains in the basketball world spotlight, with rumors currently swirling about the possible entry of Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul into the Lakers roster.
With the retirement of Kobe Bryant this week, old stories about the Lakers star's long NBA career are now making their way back into fans' consciousness. One such story is how Bryant tried to bring Paul into the Lakers fold in 2011 and how, even as he leaves the NBA, he is still reportedly trying to convince CP3 to come and mentor young Lakers point guards Jordan Clarkson, D'Angelo Russell, and their teammates.
Back in 2011, Bryant and Paul came very close to being Lakers teammates when the Lakers, Hornets, and Rockets locked in a three-team trade that would have had Paul joining the Lakers had then-NBA Commissioner David Stern not axed the deal.
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In a recent interview with ESPN.com, Bryant spoke about the failed 2011 trade, revealing that he and Paul had believed that it was a sure thing. The Lakers legend recounted how he was working out at a gym when he received a call from Paul and how they talked for about half an hour about how they would collect championships when CP3 joined the team.
"You know me," Bryant said. "My dream isn't to win games. It's like, 'How many of these titles are we going to win?' Because if we don't win, we're a failure."
In a separate interview with the website, Paul also spoke about the botched trade, saying, "It was crazy."
"It was exciting," he explained. "We talked about potentially being teammates and all that stuff like that. Then, in the blink of an eye, gone."
While Paul did eventually come to L.A., the NBA Rookie of the Year awardee and two-time Olympic gold medalist ended up playing with the Clippers instead of the Lakers.
With the Lakers and the Clippers facing off twice in Bryant's final week in the NBA, the Black Mamba still feels that had the 2011 trade pushed through, he and Paul would have won the championships they had talked about.
"Things would've been very, very, very different around here with two of the most competitive people the league has ever seen," he said.
