Chris Paul Felt 'Stabbed In The Back' When Rockets Traded Him To Thunder

[RealGM Wiretap]

Chris Paul denied asking for a trade from the Houston Rockets after the 18-19 season amid reported tension with James Harden. The Rockets eventually traded Paul to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Russell Westbrook.

"Do you feel like there’s been times where, 'Damn, that’s a little eye-opening. I got stabbed in the back,'" asked Kevin Hart.

"Absolutely," said Paul. "This last situation was one of them. The GM there in Houston, he don’t owe me nothing. You know what I mean? He may tell me one thing but do another thing. But you just understand that that’s what it is."

Paul orchestrated a trade from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Rockets in 2017.

Via Dan Feldman/NBC Sports

[NoZoLakers]

karma, Chris, its a b*, you deserved what you got!!!

[dan-man]

I'm sure he'll be washing up all those tears w/the 40 million pieces of tissue for the next two years.

[kenwood3333]

cp3 playing the victim card

[gobears81]

He's finding out that at $15 million per year, he's an asset to the team, but at max money, no one wants him. He'll probably get moved again and eventually bought out so that he can play for a contender at a minimum salary before riding off into the sunset. Being an NBA player isn't an easy life, you know

[mplsfonz23]

He's finding out that at $15 million per year, he's an asset to the team, but at max money, no one wants him. He'll probably get moved again and eventually bought out so that he can play for a contender at a minimum salary before riding off into the sunset. Being an NBA player isn't an easy life, you know

That buy out would have to be pretty good. $80 mil and I would play for the Washington Generals.

[ecuhus1981]

Calm down, folks.

He answered a direct question in the affirmative. It's not like he called a press conference to say "Houston screwed me over". We don't know closed-door discussions with the Rockets franchise. From this and other quotes from Chris and James, it certainly sounds like they were untouchable. Oh well, that's the league.

People tend to speak too loosely when conversing with comedians, that's CP3's responsibility. Move along.

[dougthonus]

The reporter came up with the very defamatory language not Chris Paul which turns this into a headline that wouldn't exist otherwise. Chris even said in his response the GM didn't owe him anything etc and clearly didn't seem like he'd come up with that phrase on his own based on the response.

[IWishIWasHarden]

That's smart of Paul, the way he worded it as "he doesn't owe me."

What that's saying is that Paul knows the Rockets didn't owe him better treatment but he still felt that it was a bad move on their part.

And he is right. It was an atrocious display of disloyalty to a player who came to play for your team. The Rockets needed Paul, they got Paul, and then they threw him down the river.

Capitalism might not owe Chris Paul anything more than that, but we can all see the typical right wing inhumane mentality in the move. This isn't just business, it is also life. Chris wanted to win.

And I will also add that teams cannot just do these things without implications. Next time a "Chris Paul" is on the market, he won't go to Houston because of how they treat people.

The owners and managers of the NBA might like you to believe that all this is is business . . . but of course that is a lie. It is no more just a business than all your day jobs. Would you like to have no rights at all for your day jobs? Of course not. You'd like to be treated with some respect and loyalty, just like Chris Paul.

Now CP3 will almost surely retire without a ring, and it will all be for nothing but money. That is a sad day for everybody (but the Rockets owner who has penny pinched his entire tenure thus far). Couldn't have built a championship team with Chris Paul? I doubt that very much.

Here's to hoping my Rockets lose this year and every other year until Harden retires.

[Pickled Prunes]

He was asked a question and answered honestly.... what a tool!

[Kobblehead]

Rockets probably felt stabbed in the back when Paul selfishly held them over the barrel and demanded that 4 year supermax, at his age.

[IWishIWasHarden]

Rockets probably felt stabbed in the back when Paul selfishly held them over the barrel and demanded that 4 year supermax, at his age.

Incorrect. Paul said that is what he wanted before they traded for him. Paul didn't have to do that, but he did it because he's a decent person.

[lonea]

if I get paid $40 million of GUARANTEED MONEY a year for 4 years, you can stab me in the front, the side and the back

[spree2kawhi]

He's sensitive because after all he isn't as dominant as everybody has been claiming for his entire life. He's very, very good, but Houston just revealed how good he actually is and he struggles to accept that.

Hell, I can even understand that. Stuff like that is not easy to swallow, but it's a reality check after all. He's a millionaire but in his reality it still means a lot, so ok.

[Cassius]

karma, Chris, its a b*, you deserved what you got!!!

EXACTLY. I'm all for player empowerment, but with great power comes great responsibility. He pulled a fast one on the Clippers to get out of what he expected to be a tank, so he can't be mad at Morey for doing the same to him.

[BillTheGOAT]

if I get paid $40 million of GUARANTEED MONEY a year for 4 years, you can stab me in the front, the side and the back

My neck my back my **** and my ****.

[Metallikid]

I don't understand I remember the story being that Chris Paul wanted a trade out of Houston?

[Vegeta10176]

karma, Chris, its a b*, you deserved what you got!!!

EXACTLY. I'm all for player empowerment, but with great power comes great responsibility. He pulled a fast one on the Clippers to get out of what he expected to be a tank, so he can't be mad at Morey for doing the same to him.

What are you talking about a fast one on the clippers? CP3 had a player option that year so could be a free agent instead he opted in for a trade which meant clippers got a lot of the players they have today in that trade.. there was no fast one Clippers got lucky that CP3 let them get something back of anything they owe him..

[Vegeta10176]

He's sensitive because after all he isn't as dominant as everybody has been claiming for his entire life. He's very, very good, but Houston just revealed how good he actually is and he struggles to accept that.

Hell, I can even understand that. Stuff like that is not easy to swallow, but it's a reality check after all. He's a millionaire but in his reality it still means a lot, so ok.

Ad good as he was you mean leading 3 2 against the warriors and pulling a hamstring otherwise they win that series.. what are you talking about?

[spree2kawhi]

How do you know they would have won? I don't see it and I also watched that series closely.