A Familiar History In Infamy
In 2011, when the Lakers offered the proposed trade to New Orleans to acquire Chris Paul, many in and around the NBA had pegged the deal as done. Lakers fans rejoiced at the possibility of watching, arguably, the NBA’s greatest starting backcourt, night in and night out. Kobe Bryant paired with CP3 would showcase an abundance of maximum effort and determination that Lakers fans had grown accustomed to and therefore lusted and desired for.
Once word got out about the possible trade, Dan Gilbert, owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers expelled his thoughts and reached out to David Stern, the de-facto owner of the Hornets, in a way that only Dan Gilbert could facilitate — in an angry email.
Enclosed in the email were Gilbert’s words, “It would be a travesty to allow the Lakers to acquire Chris Paul in the apparent trade being discussed,” and, “I know the vast majority of owners feel the same way that I do … When will we just change the name of 25 of the 30 teams to the Washington Generals?”
The Washington Generals, per Wikipedia, are an exhibition basketball team, mostly known for having a ridiculous losing streak at the hands of the Harlem Globetrotters. By Gilbert stating this, he indicates the apparent lack of parity in the NBA.
Still, this is just one man’s opinion on the collective outlook on the Lakers, and while few teams, if any, had the gall to agree on record with that particular email, it’s hard not to believe Gilbert’s sentiments were mirrored.
In the end, authority fell unto David Stern, vetoing the trade infamously for “you-know-what.”
Instead of entering the post-lockout season with a chance to redeem themselves, the 2011-12 season marked the beginning of the end of the Lakers’ ever-present success. A core that still had a determined 33-year-old Kobe Bryant, oft-injured All-Star Andrew Bynum, and a timeless role player in Derek Fisher seemed underwhelming amongst a middling cast of players to pit against the rest of the NBA’s rising stars.
To make matters worse, Lamar Odom, the NBA’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year, felt disrespected by the Lakers and was eventually traded to the Dallas Mavericks. Pau Gasol finished out his remaining years as a Laker all while being perennially mentioned in trade talk. The uncertainty of Gasol’s future with the team, on top of injury, attributed to a decline in play. These events along with continuous moving and aging pieces ultimately led the Lakers to this point in time.