Los Angeles Lakers: Did ESPN’s all-time NBA ranking get it right?
By Amaar Burton
Chris Paul
ESPN rank: 40
OK, just kidding.
It still chafes Laker Nation that Chris Paul was on the team for about three hours on Dec. 8, 2011. But he was never officially a member of the Lakers.
The Lakers had agreed to a trade for the New Orleans Hornets’ superstar point guard, but before the bootleg purple and gold CP3 jerseys could hit the streets in bulk, NBA commissioner David Stern vetoed the trade for the ever-infamous “basketball reasons.”
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The veto will forever generate conspiracy theory talk by some Lakers fans who believe the NBA didn’t want Kobe, Paul and the Lakers to form a squad that could take down LeBron, Dwyane Wade and the Heat. Paul was officially traded to the LA Clippers a few days later, a cruel tease for the Lakers about what could’ve been.
Anyway, Paul has justified his No. 40 ranking. The 35-year-old is still adding to his resume as a member of the Thunder, but he’s already one of the most accomplished point guards in history.
Paul is a 10-time All-Star with eight All-NBA and nine All-Defensive Team honors. He’s led the league in steals six times and assists four times. He ranks fourth all-time in assists per game (9.5), seventh in steals per game (2.2), and seventh in total assists and total steals.
If he could add a championship or at least an NBA Finals appearance — which very well could’ve happened with the Lakers — Paul would move up even higher on lists like this.