The Chris Paul era in Los Angeles ended before it even began. No championship, no parades, nothing. The league came in and blocked to trade, no CP3 for the Lakers. It was as if nothing had ever happened. When asked why the trade had been blocked, commissioner David Stern and the league said the trade was blocked for "basketball reasons". What the hell does that mean. "Basketball reasons"?? I figured that meant that the trade was unfair for the Hornets but when I looked at it closer that wasn't the case. The Hornets received three legitimate starters while the Lakers got one player back. They also lost their starting power forward and their best bench player who would be a starter on any other team in the league. "Basketball reasons"...then it became all too clear when a report came out that a group of owners went to David Stern and demanded that the trade be denied. They claimed that it wasn't fair that the Lakers, a big market team, was getting one of the best players in the league again. They felt that the new CBA, collective bargaining agreement, made it so it was harder for the bigger market teams to form these super rosters and yet only days after the CBA was agreed upon, the Lakers were doing it again. David Stern showed yet again why he is inept at his job and why he should get the hell out of basketball. He showed how spineless he real was by folding under the pressure of the owners and blocking the trade.
Chris Paul was going to leave the Hornets after the season was over no matter what; he has a opt-out clause in is his contract making him a free agent. Paul had made it known that he had a desire to go to a big market team once he was done in New Orleans and the Hornets recognized this. By trading him, they would be able to get some players and draft picks in return for Paul instead of letting him go to free agency. As a Lakers fan, some say I may only feel this way because the Lakers finally didn't get their way of grabbing up all of the superstars but I would feel this way if this were the case with any other team. The question I would ask David Stern is what are you going to do once CP3 is a free agent and agrees to a contract with the Lakers? When it comes to free agency, the commissioner has no say. Are you going to tell the Lakers that they are not a team anymore? Under the salary cap portion of the CBA, teams are allowed to offer maximum contract offers to players of the same amount. So tell me how it isn't fair when he picks the Lakers over the Bobcats when the same amount of money is on the line. And now the league comes out with a different excuse to cover their asses!?! Maybe not having a basketball season would have been better; we wouldn't have had to put up with the league's crap. Don't worry, Kobe will make them pay...
Josh Butler
KIN 332I Tues/Thurs
3 comments:
Josh! I had called dibs on this topic over Twitter but alright, I'll give it to you.
It's weird and yet amazing at the same time because we had talked about this in our class: the subject about how players could not control their fates. This was a story of how Chris Paul wanted to exert what little control he had over his life by telling he didn't want that he would not resign. He is one of the top caliber points guards currently and wanted to use that to get to where he wanted. The small market teams decided that it was too unfair and because they owned the Hornets, they voted to veto that trade. Now, if a top tier all-star player cannot control his fate, what does that say about the average NBA player, or any athlete for that matter?
It is funny to think that David Stern and certain others have stated that the reason for vetoing the trade is that it doesn't benefit the Hornets very much. The Hornets get three amazing players for one big one. It is extremely wise to trade him away now and get pieces to build a team. As of right now, the choice is between either trading him away for great pieces, or leaving New Orleans in shambles next year. Anybody remember what happened to Cleveland after Lebron left? The argument that it is unfair to New Orleans is untrue, and it simply a lie for the owners to hide behind.
The owners have set up a new Collective Bargaining Agreement and Mitch Kupchak and Dell Demps have found a legitimate trade to better both their respective teams. Chris Paul does not want to waste a year playing on a team that doesn't win and did everything in his power to change his future. Yet, it was all for naught.
Bryant Pham
Kin 332i TuTh 12:30-1:45
exactly. the hornets got the better deal of the three i thought. now if there is no trade, cp3 walks away at the end of the season and the hornets get nothing in return. im waiting for the leagues next excuse
Josh Butler
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