Clipperholics
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Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant were ready to win titles with Lakers

By Tom West

Oct 31, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) guards Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) in the second half of the game at Staples Center. Clippers won 118-111. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 31, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) guards Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) in the second half of the game at Staples Center. Clippers won 118-111. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Before the trade that would have sent Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers was vetoed, he and Kobe Bryant talked on the phone about how many championships they would win together.

On December 8, 2011, the phrase “basketball reasons” had never been used to such significant and startling effect. As then-NBA commissioner David Stern used those words to veto a trade that would have changed the landscape of the league, though, recent history was changed. Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant were on the verge of being teammates to forge a dominant backcourt with the Los Angeles Lakers, surely destined for multiple championships.

Now, that duo is nothing but a distant memory. And what a duo they could have been.

The trade that was expected to go through would have sent Paul on his way to the Lakers’ purple and gold rather than the Clippers’ red and white, but Stern ended it.

ESPN’s Baxter Holmes reported comments from Paul and Kobe this week, saying they spoke on the phone at the time of the trade about their plans to win multiple titles together:

"Bryant said the phone call lasted about 20-30 minutes, and they weren’t talking about how many games they planned to win together.“You know me. My dream isn’t to win games,” Bryant recalled to ESPN this week. “It’s like, ‘How many of these titles are we going to win [together]?’ Because if we don’t win, we’re a failure.”“It was crazy,” Paul told ESPN this week. “It was exciting. We talked about potentially being teammates and all that stuff like that. Then, in the blink of an eye, gone.”"

The trade that never was has been talked about to death. The “what ifs”, the way it completely changed L.A. basketball, and how different some of Kobe’s recent championship teams could have been. Or, more to the point, how many more championship teams he could have been a part of.

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As for the Clippers, it’s safe to say their last five seasons wouldn’t have been nearly the same. It’s been the best spell in franchise history by far, with more trips to the playoffs (five) in the Chris Paul era than the previous 27 years of the Clippers franchise combined (four).

Plus, Lob City with the CP3 to Blake Griffin connection would never have been born.

Kobe knows what he missed out on, too. Chris Paul had already become a four-time All-Star with the New Orleans Hornets, showcasing his exceptional talent at both ends of the floor with a career-year in 2008-09, averaging 22.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 11 assists and 2.8 steals per game with 50.3 percent shooting.

As Paul gradually established himself, with rare talent and competitiveness, Kobe knew he wanted them to be teammates:

"“I knew how competitive he was, and I knew it would be a perfect fit. We just kind of talked about what we’re going to do, how we’re going to scheme to get things done. Unfortunately, it never happened.”"

Well, all we can do now is imagine.

The idea of another super group forming has emerged after word of LeBron James‘ idea of playing with Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Paul, although if there’s ever even a small chance that will actually happen, it won’t be any time soon.

Next: What did we learn from Blake Griffin's return?

With Kobe just a few games away from retirement and LeBron’s notion of playing with his “brotherhood” before it’s all said and done being wishful thinking right now, Clippers fans can keep enjoying Chris Paul in Los Angeles.