Thursday, January 26th, 2012 at 11:10 am  |  136 responses

Chris Paul to Pau Gasol: I’m Not One of Your Kids


by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

Though it was certainly an entertaining, seesaw affair that more than lived up to the hype, one could argue that the best moments from last night’s Clippers/Lakers showdown had little to do with actual basketball.

We had plenty of hard fouls and cheap shots (highlighted by the Artist Formerly Known As Ron Artest hilariously wrestling Blake Griffin to the ground for no good reason), and things stayed testy between the two teams even when the final score was no longer in doubt.

As the Lakers put the finishing touches on a 96-91 win at home, Pau Gasol took exception to something Chris Paul said, and tapped the Clippers’ superstar point guard on his head. This enraged CP3, who tapped Gasol back while yapping away. Paul explained his side of the story to the media.

From the AP:

The game featured plenty of sharp play, including several moments of brilliance from [Kobe] Bryant and Blake Griffin, but also six technical fouls, plenty of extracurricular talk, and the ejection of the Lakers’ Josh McRoberts for scrapping with Reggie Evans. That’s all before Gasol’s postgame gesture prompted a furious response from Paul, who had four points and 12 assists for the Clippers in his return from a five-game absence because of a strained left hamstring. “He touched the top of my head, and I didn’t like that,” said Paul. “You know what I mean. I don’t know if Pau’s got kids, but don’t touch my head like I’m one of your kids. I don’t know what his intentions were, like, ‘I’ll treat him like little Chris.’ I don’t know if he’s got kids, but I’m not one of them.”

Gasol, who has no kids, insisted he was misunderstood. “I’m sorry he felt that way,” the Spanish 7-footer said. “I do that all the time with my teammates. Nothing mean about it.” When asked what Paul yelled at him after the game, Gasol called it “just trash.”

An amused Kobe Bryant — who also exchanged pleasantries with CP3 in the closing moments — chalked it all up to Chris Paul being “chippy”, which he appreciates and can relate to.

The third and final regular season installment of this turf war will take place on April 4th. And if we’re truly lucky, these two teams will get a chance to battle it out come Playoff time.

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  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeLRym4Q-pg nbk

    For the record, it’ll be a rivalry before the city is divided, Because that will never happen. You can’t take the biggest basketball city in the US w/ some of the most diehard fans and ever expect that city to be divided. Really just need to have a competitive Lakers v Clippers playoff series. Or atleast a few games that affect playoff seeding, before the idea that this is a rivalry should even be entertained. And with that in mind, I’m done with this subject.

  • Heals

    @Pais, damn you! I make an a$$whole remark and you still turn it against me cause you’re eating oranges. Appreciate the clarification on those terms and props on the back-and-forth, good stuff…

  • Heals

    @Nic, almost missed that comment, glad I didn’t…

  • shutup

    and santa clause does exist,just as much as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln perception is reality. The majority of the world perceives Clippers vs Lakers as a rivalry for many reasons, besides the fact that they’ve been called cross-town rivals for as long as I can remember. The rivalry is just getting competitive, so does that make it more of a rivalry? Are the different degrees of rivalhood? where is the threshold from potential rival to rival? because Giants v Jets has always been a rivalry and so has Yankees Mets even when one or both teams sucked.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeLRym4Q-pg nbk

    “Santa Clause” is as real as Basil of Caesarea.
    .
    .
    Saint Nicholas of Myra is who was real. And he wasn’t Santa Clause.

    –

    Yankees v Mets is a rivalry because they met in the world series in 2000. Previously to 1997 they had never played each other. Ever.

    –

    You know nothing about the Giants v Jets rivalry obviously, or you wouldn’t have mentioned it. The Jets were initially created in a smaller football league, and were literally marketed against the Giants. But the two teams don’t even play each other regularly, it’s not really a rivalry among teams anymore, it’s a rivalry among fans.
    .
    Which the Clippers don’t have a comparable amount of. Definitely not enough to merit a fan rivalry in LA.

    –

    next

  • http://onthacorner.com/forum Kevin

    Chris Paul has been known to punch people in the groin…..Pau dont want them problems

  • ab40

    napoleon syndrome mixed with Black Dynamite= CP3 = Napoleon Dynamite

  • shutup

    So then jesus isnt real either by your standards, I was really trying to approach it existentially, as a matter of perception and impact in reality thus he’s real. I could’ve swore Jets played the Giants this year, a game in which words were exchanged and did impact playoff standing, the Yankees dont have a rivalry with the diamond backs but they met in the world series, the yankees mets is a rivalry because they divide a fan base and its not 50/50, NY has more Yankee fans than Mets fans. Its a big bro lil bro thing. You can sit there and think you know more about basketball all you want but please dont try to explain how ny teams arent rivals to a life long New Yorker.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeLRym4Q-pg nbk

    I just said both were rivals. The Yankess and Mets only since 2000 have they actually been “rivals” – since they played in the world series and will play each other every single year (2 things that make it a rivalry, not just a series, like it was against the Diamondbacks) – And the Giants and Jets are “rivals” but it’s more about the fans then the actual players because the teams don’t play yearly (their next meeting is 2015). The problem here is your reading comprehension.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeLRym4Q-pg nbk

    Existentially, as a matter of Perception and Impact? That would make the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy real. (Experiences during our lives that affect our existence, – Putting a tooth under your pillow, searching for eggs hidden by a rabbit). So yes, in terms of your life experience your right, they are real. As real as the Lakers v Clippers rivalry.

  • shutup

    The Easter bunny is more of a convoluted metaphor, Santa Claus has transcended allegory a long time ago. As for the tooth fairy have you ever seen the tooth fairy? I argue the fact that every year Santa Claus can be spotted at every major mall and likenesses of him are spread worldwide that he does truly exist. Yankees fans would disagree with your perception of the rivalry and your words do your own argument injustice, if fans can be rivals in your words than there has been a long standing fan rivalry predating the Yankees mets world series. There are many different types of rivalries and yes the Lakers Clippers fall into the classification on various points. Even though the teams may not verbally acknowledge it, it can be clearly seen in the intensity of the games that have been played, no matter how insignificant they may seem, as a student of the game (as you have called yourself) you have to see the posturing in these games for dominance. The fact that you state this could be a rivalry is posturing on your part as well, you deny rivalry status but clearly state its must see tv. Slightly hypocritical, as it has been mentioned earleir, not only do they play in the same city and arena but they both tried to acquire the same player, which made one team worse (losing LO and team dissension) but also made the other team better. Also the fact that these teams are #1 and 2 for draws at opponents arenas they are also close in record. I ask you to name a more pertinent matchup in the landscape of the NBA today.

  • shutup

    OH and with Kobe and Chris Paul being arguably the two most competitive players gives the rivalry another layer, and at the end of the game you can clearly see relief on the Lakers faces as was evident in World Peace’s jubilation, and the juxtapose in Paul’s and the rest of the Clippers frustration. Ogre’s are like onions, and so are rivalries. That’ll do donkey, that’ll do.

  • http://www.coachesclipboard.net/FlexOffense.html nbk

    It’s a rivalry because the Lakers were happy and Paul was pissed. So Indiana and Chicago is the biggest rivalry in the league. Got it.

  • http://www.coachesclipboard.net/FlexOffense.html nbk

    Nothin significant has happened in the matchup. It’s not a rivalry. Have fun with Santa clause.

  • http://Www.slamonline.com TADOne

    Rivalry!!! No rivalry!!!! Who the hell cares?!?! Now, where is that damn Easter Bunny?!

  • http://Www.slamonline.com TADOne

    Now, if Chris were to have punched Pau in his nuts, then some sort of rivalry definitely would have started!

  • http://www.coachesclipboard.net/FlexOffense.html nbk

    Lmao good to have you back TAD

  • shutup

    So your saying the acquisition of Paul and the rise of the Clippers are insignificant, coupled with the decline of the Lakers and the emergence of Blake Griffin, also the fact that the Clippers are probably going to make the playoffs while LA has a chance of not making are meaningless as well. Got it. and Indiana Chicago by your definition might be considered a rivalry, significant playoff series hard fought with a lot of trash talk, arent those the criteria you laid out, so by your definition thats more of a rivalry than Clippers Lakers. Good example of your hypocrisy

  • http://dodgers.com Joey E.

    Someone needs to get Paul Pierce’s big-ass a wheelchair.

  • http://www.coachesclipboard.net/FlexOffense.html nbk

    Lol your as dense as a rock shutup. And you don’t read very well either. You can call them rivals all you want. You can misread my comments and create a conclusion from that all you want to. Fighting you is pointless.

  • shutup

    So you admit defeat, I accept your resignation, as you were. lmao. Not to start another argument but not all rocks are dense, as I have learned in my geological endeavors.

  • http://www.coachesclipboard.net/FlexOffense.html nbk

    Glad to see you got the point.

  • charliewinning

    No matter how few times the teams play, Giants/Jets will always be a rivalry just like Yankees/Mets has been a rivalry for years. The Clippers/Lakers don’t like each other and it’s a rivalry. Some rivalries are one sided but they are rivalries nonetheless. Not everything fits the strict definitions of the slam heads. Doesn’t mean the opinions here are end all be all smdh.

  • http://slamonline.com. datkid

    shut up lives to prove nbk wrong I see.

  • http://itsahardwoodlife.blogspot.com omphalos

    As a PG, I’d feel very patronised if a 7 footer was patting me on the head after the game. Paul was right to feel disrespected, it doesn’t matter if Pau does that to his teammates, doing that to a much shorter opponent is belittling.

  • http://www.fiba.com Darksaber

    Oh you guys, you get too caught up in one (badly executed) game. You need to get caught up in nature, like i dunno, Majestic Galloping Unicorns, perhaps. Speaking of animals and mythology, this clip made my day:
    http://youtu.be/6ntDYjS0Y3w

  • BallisLove

    I wouldnt mind if my hair was short

  • anen

    Pau does that all the time with National Teammates Ricky Rubio and his bro Marc Gasol, neither of them seem to mind.
    I guess I can understand where CP3 was coming from, but that doesn’t explain why he acted like such a DRAMA QUEEN, Maybe cause they were LOOSING. CP3 was being a sore loser plain an simple.

  • shutup

    LOOSING? Nah he wasnt acting like a drama queen and if he wants to touch lil boys or his brother like that then thats fine but he should know after a heated loss that Paul would be mad at LOSING and touching another man in a condescending way would cause ill will, then being dismissive after the fact instead of being apologetic would only make the situation worse.

  • Niyagirlfresh

    It’s NOT a rivarly, one team is NOT successful the other team is legendary in the success department. Bostom vs. Lakers is a rivarly similar history between this two. This is nothing more than overhyped hoopla because of that trade for Laker/Clipper haters/fans to enjoy and get gitty over like school girls.

  • http://dodgers.com Joey E.

    ok, literally multiple times someone uses my name to say “someone needs to get Paul-Pierces big ass a wheelchair”. This is the 3rd time I’ve seen this. who are you? it’s not me

  • jimmer

    Is NBK drunk? Self appointed guardian of the integrity of the genuine sporting rivalry, an integrity which does not allow any other degree of the noun ‘rivalry’ to exist. At this point, it’s a crosstown rivalry, simple as, but you’ve even managed to claim that the Clippers might as well not be from LA cos no-one cares about them! Way to bend facts into your own one-track single-minded definition. Amazing stuff.

  • ;camvsmanu

    yo !

  • http://www.coachesclipboard.net/FlexOffense.html nbk

    Never told a single person they were wrong. I was clear this was my opinion, “nbk Posted: Jan.26 at 2:13 pm
    In sports, you generally call a matchup a rivalry when each team has done something to hurt the other. Like eliminate them from the playoffs in a competitive series. Nobody is going to call them rivals the next time they play. Nobody is going to even call them rivals if they meet in the playoffs. Let them build some more animosity before we go labeling this a rivalry. That’s How I feel.”

  • aaa

    Cp disrespected pau the whole game and down the court then feels emotionally scarred by pau treating him like a punk. If he doesn’t want his feelings hurt he should get a pacifier so he will shut his mouth. Gasol was just telling him to stop his chihuahua routine.

  • Mr B

    Paul hates the fact that he is short. Like to run into people when he has the ball and cry for a foul. Just watch him play. They players all know this. That is where I got my info. from. Pau does this to a lot of players including his team mates but Paul is a little men and like so many little men, well, you know the rest.

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