Why it will be weird for Klay Thompson to play with new teammate Chris Paul in Golden State?
Chris Paul has had his fair share of battles against the Golden State Warriors over the years, but now he will be joining forces with Klay Thompson and Co.
The Phoenix Suns made the trade of the offseason so far, sending Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards, and bringing in future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul. There have been plenty of battles between Paul and the Warriors over the years, but now it’s time for all parties to bury the hatchet and come together for a title push.
Thompson and Paul now teammate
Klay Thompson spoke to reporters about recent history with Paul and his former team the Phoenix Suns while saying he is looking forward to playing with such an established point guard.
“Any time you get to play with a player who is one of the best of your generation, it’s an honor,” Thompson said. “It’s a little weird because we’ve had so many battles in the past with Chris, and he’s led so many teams that nearly knocked us off or did knock us off all the way back in 2014. I think he’s just going to add such a calming presence and leadership component that we need.”
Thompson had a moment of contention with Paul and the Suns back in October when he was tossed out of the game after a dust up with Devin Booker. While Chris Paul didn’t involve himself too much in the dispute, Thompson made sure the Suns knew how many rings he has before making his way to the locker room.
Paul has spent all of his time in the Western Conference since being drafted by the New Orleans Hornets, to going to the Clippers then Houston and Oklahoma City before joining Phoenix in 2020. In that time he has seen the Warriors win four NBA Titles, while he himself has only been to the Final once, losing to the Milwaukee Bucks 2021.
The meme heard ‘round the world
When you’re winning, everything is great and you can even afford to have a cheeky laugh while in the heat of battle. When the wins and the rings elude you, that’s when things are harder to laugh at which is perhaps why Paul gave Steve Kerr a fake laugh that will forever go down in meme history.
This clip that he filmed during an live question and answer segment during April of the Covid interrupted season explains exactly what was going through CP3′s mind when his now head coach tried to bust his chops during a game years ago.
If everyone can put the past aside, and the Warriors can convince Draymond Green to stay in the Bay, then Golden State will be heading into the upcoming season with a starting five that could be the best we have ever seen in history. Will it be enough to bring the Warriors a fifth title in the last decade and Paul his first ever?