Los Angeles Lakers: 3 things the vetoed CP3 trade robbed the NBA of
Kobe and the Los Angeles Lakers vs. LeBron and the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals
During the early 2010s, there was one match-up above all else that had the entire NBA salivating.
Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers Vs LeBron James and the Miami Heat A clash of the titans for the ages.
The newly formed Miami Heat with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh were finally coming into their own after a trial and error season the year previous having lost to the Dallas Mavericks in 6 games.
Each of the Heat players in the absolute prime. LeBron James had finally become the LeBron James we all now have become accustomed to seeing.
Wade and LeBron had formed the leagues best duo, with Bosh being the perfect 3rd superstar to complement the duo with his inside out game.
Had the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Chris Paul the team would have formed potentially the greatest guard pairing in NBA history.
With CP3 and Kobe, the Lakers would have two of the most ruthless, cold-blooded, and unstoppable guard pairings in history in their prime (with Kobe coming to the end of his prime).
With CP3 you have one of the best defensive guards of his era during the best years of his career. Capable of averaging 20PPG and 10APG every night not to mention his career average 2.2SPG,
In Kobe you have a ruthless scorer who with Chris Paul on the floor drawing double teams at times would have gotten significantly easier baskets.
Add on top of that next year the Los Angeles Lakers could have added Dwight Howard to the roster for Andrew Bynum and you have Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant, and Chris Paul all playing together in their prime years.
Howard suffered from injuries during his short 1st tenure with the Lakers. With Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant, Howard would have been able to rest his back and not have to worry about the Lakers making the playoffs as CP3 and Kobe should be sufficiently good enough to carry the team during this time.
The likelihood that Howard would have stayed with the Lakers would have gone up as he would have a real shot long term at winning long term even after Kobe Bryant had retired.
A Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, and Dwight Howard trio vs LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh duel would have been a battle for the ages that could have lasted for years.
It could have been this generation Magic Johnson vs Larry Bird duel.
Unfortunately we will never know the outcome of what would have happened.