"Hmm?"
McHale frowned.
David Stern smiled faintly.
"We allowed LeBron to go to Miami and form the Big Three so he could challenge Kobe.
"To a certain extent, the showdown between the league's old and new faces was meant to make the games more exciting. But it was also about ushering in a new era.
"From Jordan to Kobe, and then from Kobe to LeBron.
"But now things have changed again.
"Now we have the 'Monster Rookie' Blake. He's only played one season, yet he already led the Suns to a championship as the sole superstar while displaying extraordinary ability and becoming incredibly popular.
"He is the league's newest star.
"He may even bring about the transition from LeBron's era to his own faster than anyone expected.
"But for now, LeBron is still one of the faces of the league.
"And ultimately, there can only be one champion. There can only be one player standing at the very top.
"So the future battle between LeBron and Blake is bound to be exciting.
"As for Kobe, the Lakers fell short in the Western Conference Finals this year, and you can already see signs of fatigue in the team.
"But Kobe isn't old yet.
"His ability and popularity are still there, and the Lakers are still championship contenders.
"However, Blake's sudden emergence has dramatically strengthened the Suns. They also have several young players, which means they're only going to get better.
"Under those circumstances, letting Paul team up with Kobe would strengthen the Lakers and make the battle in the West even more exciting.
"At the same time, it would preserve the suspense surrounding the Finals.
"It accomplishes both goals at once.
"So because of Blake's emergence, I believe this trade has gone from questionable to completely viable.
"In fact, it's surprisingly perfect."
David Stern was thinking about the league and the NBA's future.
Phil Jackson and Jeanie Buss, meanwhile, only cared about one thing.
David Stern had agreed to the trade.
They were immediately thrilled.
And so, the deal that originally would have been stopped was finally approved.
Chris Paul was going to the Lakers.
...
Back to the present.
"CP3 Joins the Lakers, Teams Up with 'Black Mamba' Kobe to Form the Strongest Backcourt Duo in History."
10:00 a.m.
The Lakers officially announced the Chris Paul trade, and the Los Angeles Times immediately published the news.
The entire league erupted.
"No... no way. Paul and Kobe together? What kind of combination is that? Just how strong are those two going to be?!"
"The Lakers were already championship contenders!
"And everyone knows their biggest weakness was the lack of an elite primary playmaker.
"Now they've gone and added one of the best point guards in the entire league?!
"How is anyone supposed to deal with that?!"
"Paul and Kobe, combined with everything the Lakers already have... aren't they even scarier than the Heat Big Three now?!"
"Bro, have some confidence. Drop the 'aren't they.'"
"What the hell?! They're actually allowing this trade?!"
"This is insane. The whole league has gone crazy."
"Come on! Blake is just a rookie who happened to lead his team to the championship. Is there really any need to respond by making the Lakers this ridiculously strong?!"
"It's official?!"
"Official. And it's not changing."
"Hahaha! I'm calling it right now. Lakers championship!!!"
"Well, it's already done. There's no changing it now, so we'll just have to wait and see.
"Paul and Kobe might look unstoppable, but the Lakers also gave up Pau Gasol and Odom, two major pieces.
"So I guess it's still somewhat reasonable."
"Exactly. There's no denying that adding Paul alongside 'Black Mamba' makes the Lakers incredibly strong.
"But the Heat still have 'King James' LeBron, 'Flash' Wade, and CB4 Bosh.
"That Big Three isn't exactly weak."
"Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginóbili. My Spurs still have the GDP trio, and we're not afraid of anyone."
"Hmph! Durant, Russell Westbrook, Harden, and Ibaka. My four-star Thunder are going to blow up the league next season!"
"Enough! No matter what trades happen or how strong the competition gets, the defending champion Suns are winning it again next season!!!"
"The Lakers duo vs. the Thunder's four stars!"
"The Heat Big Three vs. the Spurs' GDP!"
"D-Rose vs. 'The Emperor' Blake!"
"Next season's battles between the league's best are going to be even more exciting!"
"Go Lakers!"
"Go Spurs!"
"Go Heat!"
"Go Suns!"
"..."
The blockbuster trade sending Paul to the Lakers sent shockwaves through the entire NBA and initially sparked strong dissatisfaction among fans and executives from other teams.
But once everyone realized that the deal was final and couldn't be reversed, that frustration gradually turned into anticipation for the upcoming season.
There was also a reason why strengthening the Lakers this much didn't create quite as much controversy as the formation of the villainous Heat Big Three.
The Heat Big Three had lost.
And rookie Blake had led the Suns to the championship as the sole superstar.
That result had convinced a lot of fans that even if several superstars teamed up, victory was never guaranteed.
If one player was dominant enough, he could become a "superhero," overcome everything in his path, and still win the championship.
...
The Paul-to-Lakers trade caused such a huge stir that Blake, Curry, and George naturally heard about it while vacationing around the United States.
Their trip lasted for more than ten days.
On the flight home, George spoke in a serious tone.
"Next season, the Heat Big Three in the East won't be our only major opponent.
"Out West, the Lakers with Paul and Kobe are going to be even tougher."
"Yeah."
Curry nodded.
"CP3 and 'Black Mamba' Kobe. That backcourt is ridiculously strong.
"George, once we get home, we need to spend the rest of the offseason training hard.
"We have to get stronger before next season begins.
"We won the championship this year because Blake carried so much of the load. Next season, we need to do everything we can to take some of that pressure off him."
"Definitely."
George nodded firmly.
Blake nodded as well, his expression turning thoughtful.
"Paul and Kobe, huh?
"That trade was actually blocked by the league in the original timeline.
"But now it actually went through.
"I don't know exactly why things changed, but they're definitely going to be a dangerous opponent.
"Still... maybe this is what makes things interesting.
"Because next season, my teammates and I are going to be even stronger too!!!"
On the flight home, Blake, Curry, and George marveled at how dangerous the Paul-Kobe pairing would be while resolving to improve even further during the rest of the offseason.
But during that very same stretch of time, another explosive rumor suddenly swept through the league.
"Superman" Dwight Howard was also planning to join the Lakers.
He would team up with CP3 and "Black Mamba" Kobe to form a terrifying super Big Three!!!