It’s payback time for Chris Paul.
Back in 2018, if I told you that the Golden State Warriors were going to Houston to face the Rockets in a Sunday game with Chris Paul in the lineup, you probably would have shrugged your golden shoulders and said, “I hope Steph destroys him ».
How times have changed. Now the Dubs do head back to Houston to take on Clutch City, but now the Golden Empire is using CP3 and paying him a huge amount to pull his usual tricks against his former team.
I CAN NOT WAIT!
Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets
When: October 29, 2023 | 4:00 p.m. PT
TV: NBC Sports Bay Area, AT&T SportsNet Southwest
Radio: 95.7 The game
Before Paul was exiled to Oklahoma City and migrated to Phoenix, he was part of the two-headed monster Houston that glorified alongside James Harden. These were the guys who were supposed to dethrone the dynastic Dubs, and they even held a 3-2 lead over the Kevin Durant-starring Warriors.
But a hamstring injury derailed Houston in that streak, eventually leading to 27 straight missed 3-pointers, and the Warriors eliminated the Rox from the conference championship in a grueling Game 7. Another Warriors loss in next year marked the end of the CP3 era in Houston. Here’s an excerpt from an ESPN interview detailing the sudden, painful exit from Texas for Paul:
“I moved about 15 people there with me,” says Paul. His wife, his children, and his brother and his wife and their children. Cousins. The nanny, the trainer, the masseuse, the security people, the chef.
But Paul’s tenure with the Rockets was fast, ruthless. The tally was two seasons of mournful laments: a beleaguered Paul ousted from anchoring the Finals in Year 1, and an ultimately broken relationship with James Harden in Year 2. After another playoff series loss to Golden State Warriors in 2019, Morey shared with Paul that there was a deal with the rebuild Oklahoma City Thunder. Paul expressed his disappointment and his preference to play for a contender.
Morey, forced to land Russell Westbrook by ownership and a star in Harden who was sick of Paul’s constant chirping made the deal. When Paul’s friend and former teammate Matt Barnes heard about the trade, he thought, “Damn, that’s a cold way to end this.”
Big mistake Houston. Now the Rockets are in rebuilding mode while CP3 has found a new home in Golden State. Armed with the power of the Splash Bros, Paul has a chance to finally do what he never could in Houston: win a championship.
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