What was this blockbuster trade?
10:00 a.m.
The Los Angeles Lakers officially announced on Twitter that New Orleans Hornets franchise star and "Point God" Chris Paul had joined the Lakers.
The news sent shockwaves through the league.
Fans, players, and even front offices across the NBA were stunned.
But before getting into that, let's rewind a little.
More than half a month earlier, Paul had gone to Miami to watch Game 4 of the Finals between the Heat and the Suns.
He watched the Heat win and take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.
Seeing one of his closest friends on the verge of winning a championship stirred something inside the fiercely competitive Paul.
He had never even reached the Western Conference Finals.
That realization didn't sit well with him.
He wanted to change that.
He wanted to compete for a championship.
And so, the idea of leaving the Hornets and joining a powerhouse began to take shape. He wanted to team up with another great player and make a serious run at the title.
While sitting in the arena, Paul looked around for possibilities.
Eventually, his gaze settled on one man.
Kobe Bryant, who had also come to watch the game.
That's right.
Paul wanted to team up with Kobe.
Of course, Kobe wasn't his only option.
Paul had also considered the Knicks, where he could join STAT and Anthony to form a terrifying Big Three.
But in the end, he chose Kobe, the best shooting guard in the league.
Once Paul made up his mind, he acted immediately.
After the game, he contacted Kobe directly and told him what he was thinking.
Naturally, Kobe was thrilled at the idea of teaming up with Paul.
The two talked for a long time.
And they weren't discussing how many games they could win.
They were talking about championships.
More specifically, how many championships they could win together.
A week ago, despite still having two years remaining on his contract with the Hornets, Paul submitted a trade request after the market opened, right in the middle of the league-wide frenzy over Blake.
The Hornets had been placed under league control because their owner was overwhelmed by debt and could no longer support the franchise financially.
The team couldn't simply be allowed to grind to a halt, so the NBA had taken control of its operations.
And so, just yesterday, representatives from the Hornets, Rockets, and Lakers gathered in a conference room at the Hornets' facility.
Kevin McHale, the Rockets' new head coach, represented Houston.
For the Lakers, head coach Phil Jackson and Jeanie Buss attended.
And with the Hornets under league control, David Stern personally oversaw the negotiations.
It was worth noting that Jeanie Buss was not the Lakers' owner at the time.
Her father, Lakers owner Jerry Buss, was in poor health, but he considered this trade extremely important.
So he sent his daughter to participate in the negotiations.
At the same time, he wanted Jeanie to gain experience and improve her ability to help manage the franchise.
First, the details of the proposed three-team trade.
The Lakers would send Pau Gasol to the Rockets and "Left-Handed Magic" Lamar Odom to the Hornets, while receiving Chris Paul.
The Rockets would send Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, and a 2012 first-round pick to the Hornets.
It was a deal that worked quite well for all three teams.
For the Rockets, although they would give up Scola and Martin, they would receive Pau Gasol in his prime, one of the premier big men in the league.
With Yao Ming gone, Gasol would immediately restore the interior presence Houston had been missing.
At the same time, the Rockets could begin rebuilding around him.
For the Hornets, even though they would lose their franchise cornerstone in Paul, they would receive Odom, Scola, and Martin.
Odom was a Sixth Man of the Year caliber player.
Scola was a skilled big man.
And Martin was a twenty-plus-point-per-game scorer.
In other words, every player New Orleans would receive was [immediate help].
If the trade went through, the Hornets could still compete for a playoff spot even without Paul.
Of course, they probably wouldn't go very far. A first-round exit was the most likely outcome.
Still, when your franchise player was determined to leave, maximizing the return was already a good result.
As for the Lakers, they stood to benefit the most.
They would lose Gasol and Odom, two outstanding frontcourt players, but in return...
Paul and Kobe.
One was a top-five point guard in the league.
The other was the best shooting guard in the league.
One excelled at creating opportunities.
The other excelled at finishing them.
Their skill sets complemented each other perfectly.
If that backcourt became a reality, they would undoubtedly form the strongest backcourt duo in the league.
More importantly, both could defend.
Paul was still in his prime and was more than capable of scoring himself, while both men possessed an overwhelming desire to win.
And the Lakers would still have All-Star caliber center "Baby Shaq" Bynum inside.
That lineup would be enough to make every team in the league nervous.
Even afraid.
It really was that frightening.
That was why, before negotiations had even truly begun, the moment rumors of the trade leaked, executives from numerous teams, led by the Spurs and Mavericks, voiced their opposition.
They contacted Commissioner David Stern one after another, hoping he would stop the deal.
After all, the Hornets were under league control.
That meant David Stern had the authority to reject the trade.
So as negotiations unfolded, Stern carefully weighed the pros and cons.
After thinking it over, David Stern slowly began to speak.
"In the post-Jordan era, the league's biggest star, the player with the greatest influence, has unquestionably been Kobe Bryant.
"And with five championships, he has lived up to that status.
"But basketball is a competitive sport. Competition is what makes it exciting and allows the game to show its greatest appeal.
"So who can stand opposite Kobe and truly challenge him?
"When LeBron emerged, we believed we had found the league's next great star.
"LeBron possesses extraordinary individual ability.
"But he has never been able to win a championship.
"No matter how strong LeBron is individually, and no matter how much we promoted the old 'No. 23 vs. No. 24' rivalry, something was still missing.
"That was why the 'Heat Big Three' came together last season.
"The idea was to strengthen LeBron's position and give him the ability to truly challenge Kobe.
"Under those circumstances, if Kobe now teams up with Paul, the balance we've only just established will immediately tilt again.
"The matchup between LeBron and Kobe would become uneven all over again.
"So...
"I would veto this trade."
"Veto it?!"
Phil Jackson's eyes widened.
He was shocked by Stern's decision and deeply disappointed.
Jeanie Buss was just as frustrated.
This was obviously not the result she had wanted.
"Mr. Stern!"
Phil Jackson quickly spoke up.
"I understand what you're saying, but the 'Heat Big Three' are still incredibly strong.
"They've only been together for one season, and they haven't fully developed their chemistry yet.
"They still have plenty of room to improve.
"I think even if Paul and Kobe teamed up and went head-to-head with the Heat Big Three, the matchup would still be incredibly exciting.
"And commercially, the value would be enormous.
"So..."
Before Phil Jackson could finish, David Stern raised a hand and cut him off.
"Don't rush.
"Everything I just said depends on one condition.
"And that condition is...
"That all of this happened before Blake burst onto the scene."
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.
p-@-treon/GhostParser (40 Chapters Ahead)
You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced chapters.