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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  • T-Money

    nah this is classic passive-agressive pau. he knew very well that wouldn’t sit well with cp3. i wish he would just come out and say “yeah, he was talking trash and i sonned him”. it’s like when he said 2 weeks ago that he was amazed that kobe was scoring this much but almost as amazed that he could take this many shots… but of course, he had no problem with kobe shooting a lot. cmon son, go all the way.

  • Raseven7

    Chris is a sore loser that’s not the same as being a competitor and just because pau is a finesse player doesn’t make him a punk

  • Jai

    This is where being a “good guy” hurts Chris Paul. Like i said, little guys need to act like they’re psychos on the court. Isiah was always ready to fight back and no one knew if A.I. had a chain hidden in those baggy shorts. You need to be meaner, Chris!

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Iverson almost never had beef with anyone.
    He only jawed with Kobe like once in the Finals and in that case Kobe was the instigator. Other than that, I don’t remember dude getting into it with anyone after like his rookie year. People just gave him his respect and kept it moving.

  • AQWORD

    LOL @ nbk in this thread who is getting his head palmed like a scully & is being annoyed by it JUST LIKE C.P ! I’d like to see Pau trying that weak $#it on Griffin. He’d be getting shanked & spanked & alleyooped….. word to ODB

  • http://www.82games.com/1011/1011GSW.HTM nbk

    lol, AQ is here everyone. The king of reason. “AQWORD Posted: Jan.10 at 1:21 pm
    DAMN. Is it just me or what. Chris Humphries could not dunk to save himself.” – (took one try to find something ridiculous.)

  • Lloyd

    (Almost) every team in the NBA play to get wins because the win itself is what is valued. I think anytime two team MUTUALLY want to beat each other for any additional reasons besides just to get a win (or other statistucal purposes like higher seed positioning) can be constituted as a “rivalry”. There’s something personal and emotional about it…it’s not just another game. It’s just like when Kobe and Lebron go up against each other. Lebron’s squad almost always wins…it’s still a rivalry because those two guys have something to prove other than just getting the W in that instance. (refer to the article a couple of days back of Kobe sick of Lebron beating them)

    nbk- Is it a great and historical rivalry like the Celtics/Lakers yet? No, it doesn’t have that longevity yet. It’s just a young rivalry and incredibly fun to watch. No one would have doubted that Bill Russell’s Celtics and Jerry West’s Lakers going at it were a rivalry in the beginning. Am I comparing the Clippers/Lakers to them greats? No. Just saying that the amount of time passed doesn’t matter in terms of qualify matchups as “rivalries”

  • http://www.82games.com/1011/1011GSW.HTM nbk

    Did you people call the Clippers and Lakers rivals when the Clippers were better from 05-07?

  • Lloyd

    And if you go back and watch it, Paul was talking trash back and forth with Pau when Kobe came between them and said something. Paul kept saying “He’s soft!” (talking about Pau) and then Pau palmed his head in an effort to be condescending. Is it just me or does everytime Chris Paul try to talk garbage look like he’s about to cry?

  • burnt_chicken

    regardless of sport, two clubs in the same town ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE A RIVALRY. Unquestionably. It’s ridiculous to think otherwise.

  • http://www.82games.com/1011/1011GSW.HTM nbk

    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.

  • http://juan.garcia@computershare.com Marcelus Wallace

    Pau said: “They were gonna trade me for u? Hahaha Little man…”

  • http://www.michaelcho.com M Cho

    This won’t be a rivalry until the Clips get a real coach. Vinnie Del Negro did everything to give that game away last night.

  • burnt_chicken

    take, for example, manchester city and manchester united. Totally different sport, but very apt comparison. United has been great forever, City not so much. Even before City became very good, they were still very much rivals. Now that City is good, GREAT rivalry. THe proximity sets the stage. Different clubs in the same town usually divvy the fanbase along class lines, or differing neighbourhoods, etc so there is a lot at stake for those cheering.

  • burnt_chicken

    To not view Clips-Lakers as a rivalry is just hating.

  • MLK4Life

    Nbk is a little pissy biotch. Get a life chump. I bet chris paul wouldn’t try to punch world peace in the nuts

  • Heals

    C’mon 4 v 5 or 3 v 6 first round match-up and I’m good for the whole playoffs. Oh yeah and it’s not a rivalry (yet), Clips fans don’t start that nonsense. Rivalries are forged over years during playoff series with legitimate consequences or when winning teams are continually playing each with something on the line. Just cause CP3 plays angry and there’s tension between the 2 teams doesn’t make this a rivalry (yet)…

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    The Lakers and Clippers are not sharing a market, LA is Laker land. This is not like that. Can’t this just be an intruiging match-up. Calling it a rivalry implies they have actually played each other in a game that matters. Which hasn’t remotely happened yet.

  • Heals

    Burnt you live LA, hell even if you do you’re wrong in this instance. Until the last 2 years Clips v LAL (Clips homecourt) has just been an opportunity for LAL fans to see their team play for less than half the $$$ it would be to see the LAL play anyone else…

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    The thing is though nbk, Heals, It is going to be a rivalry. There’s no chance of it not. The Clippers have good players locked up and the Lakers will always have good players. If you don’t want to call it a rivalry now that’s fine, but were all just saying the inevitable. Is it a legendary rivalry? No. Is it a dynasty rivalry? No. Is it two teams that share a city and an arena type rivalry? Yes. Call it what you want. It’s some form of a rivalry.

  • http://www.reverbnation.com/tray24 T-Ray

    I gotta side with nbk. I live in LA and honestly the only people who are on the Clippers are their true supporters and a few bandwagon fans other than that it’s all purple and gold. Until the city is divided it’s not a rivalry. Also Pau is a b*tch for what he did. Too bad he didn’t use his “mojo” against Dirk last year maybe we would have one a game.

  • Pais

    @nbk – “Nobody is going to call them rivals the next time they play”? – really? why don’t you google the words ‘LA rivalry’ and see what you get. Have you had a chance to check out the piece on NBA.com entitled ‘Rival arrival’? This is just silly at this point, I respect your right to an opinion of course, but without denoting the type or status of this rivalry, it is one plain and simple. This is not something which is subjective, it is a rivalry period. But holy sh*t do I admire your persistence.

  • Mike Mihalow

    Chris Paul is just trying to bring Gasol down to his level (pun intended).

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    LOL Pais…

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

    Like I said earlier,
    .
    .
    “Budding? Sure, it’s budding. It’s definitely must see TV, and the teams don’t like each other, obviously. So yes, a rivalry in the making, but not a rivalry. If someone asked you to name the NBA rivalries, you can’t honestly say would have Clippers/Lakers on that list”

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    Who would you say are rivals these days though nbk? There aren’t many. This is as much as any one else. It is more of a rivalry than Boston vs LA for now even…

  • Treshiq

    MAN if feel Paul on this!!!! If i wear my hair in a puff ponytail( afro ponytail) i will get patted to death at work! It MAKES me the utmost angry…I don’t blame him..being patted or tapped on the head is jsut rude. How do you not know this?

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

    honestly, to think just because they play in LA and some guy trying to get eyeballs on his article called it a rivalry that is infact a rivalry is like me saying Santa exists, because they made that movie The Santa Clause and it came out on Christmas. It’s just entertainement, the Lakers have no reason to look at the Clippers as rivals, the Clippers have never even come close to threatening the Lakers standing as the top team in Los Angeles. They have just now come into the discussion as to which team is more talented, but they haven’t actually won anything. Calling this a rivalry right after the Clippers came together is the same as people who called the Heat title favorites last season right after they came together. There is no real merit to it. When you read that article on NBA(com) and nodded in approval, did you do the same thing when Jeff Van Gundy said the Heat would break the bulls single season win record? This kind of respect should be earned, not entitled.

  • Pais

    @nbk – Somewhat pedantic, somewhat contradictory but whatever. I give up. Kharg island here I come.

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

    Current NBA Rivalries? – Boston v Miami (more of a player rivalry though) – Boston v Chicago is a rivalry – Chicago v Miami is budding – Spurs v Mavericks are a rivalry. That’s about it currently imo. LA doesn’t really have a competitive “rival” at this point. They have only met Dallas in the playoffs (1) time in Kobe’s career, and didn’t win a single game, so I wouldn’t call that a rivalry. THe Lakers haven’t played the SPurs in the playoffs in almot a decade, so that isn’t a rivalry. The Celtics and Lakers are probably the closest thing the Lakers have to a rival, and that’s more a “only a rivalry if you don’t care at all about the players on the teams”

  • abaci

    i dont think its a rivalry yet and CP3 is overrated

  • Michelle

    Paul was already annoyed thats why he took expection to it. If he was winning the game then there would be no problem.

    BTW Gasol does this all the time to his teammates especially to Kobe. No disrespect intented. Chris was just pissed off because they lost

  • Heals

    @Lake mos def, that’s why I kept dropping (yet). Quick side note Clips crowds are funny cause they’re mostly in street clothes. Since the team has no real history or greats nobody really has player jerseys, so instead of a team-colored crowd (see LAL home, Bulls, C’s, etc.), you get a blend of everything but team colors…

  • charliewinning

    Pau knew what he was doing. Putting your hands on someone’s head is asking for it. It’s the same as calling a man ‘boy’. It’s intentionally condescending. Meant to make a man feel like less than a man; a non-equal.

  • Treshiq

    Wow they’re playing basketball rude doesn’t matter..hahaha didn’t think that one through. LOL

  • capostat

    You know what’s funny? How everyone HATED David Stern (media, and fans), and were calling for his retirement. Now everyone loves the fact that there’s new competitiveness between these two teams. Although it’s not Stern’s style to come out saying “You’re welcome”, you can bet that he’s basking in his apparent genius, and that he’s reveling in the fact that the media will be a little more timid in attempting to question/demean him anytime soon. He just has to look at a reporter, and they might feel themselves shrinking.

  • Heals

    Paris just cause NBA.com says it and it is getting hits on google doesn’t mean it’s true. The media is all about sensation and causing a stir (look at this comment section for proof it works). As a responsible fan bk see’s that and calls BS on this topic as a whole. Calling it a rivalry at THIS point greatly diminishes how great the LAL have been and how truly dismal the Clips have been throughout their collective histories. However the LA v NO series, the CP3 no-trade, the CP3 trade, Kobe with something to prove and the LAL resentment of the Blake hype have in deed put this match-up in the carpool lane to a rivalry…

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    Well said Heals. Apple is an Apple. This is a apple sapling. Soon to be an apple tree. I’ll stop with the fruit analogy now.

  • OTB

    @nbk – The Lakers played the Spurs in the 2008 WCF. Those two teams don’t hate each other, but the core players (TD, Manu, TP, Kobe) have been the same since a decade ago. It died a little when Phil left though.

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

    my bad OTB.

  • Pais

    Paris – quite nice in the summer, capitol of France
    Pais – me, hello
    My reference to the media was simply in response to the comment nbk made regarding ‘no one will call this a rivalry’, nbk’s a smart guy, he knew that. Fact is I didn’t even read the article. Whether by definition or popular opinion this can easily be called a rivalry. Things need to be taken in context, why can’t we simply make a distinction between a simple rivalry and “The Greatest NBA Rivalries of all Time”? It diminishes nothing, you’re getting entirely carried away at this point. You show your respect for the great rivalries by refusing acknowledge any rivalry that hasn’t pitted two teams against through playoffs over a period of…how many years does it take anyways? What’s the criteria, is there any? Absurd and redundant.

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

    They need to play each other in games that matter to even start to consider this a rivalry. It’s that simple. – When I said nobody, I meant people that are not trying to get attention. This is as much of a “rivalry” as Duke & North Carolina State.

  • Pais

    I guess I don’t qualify either, I’m always looking for attention.

  • Heals

    @Pais, my bad hard to differentiate with the glare on my BB, but good sense of humor nonetheless. For me it’s all about stakes, for the LAL v LAC this is the first year with some stakes. The Clips shouldn’t get credit for how good the LAL have been, just cause they’re finally winning so what they’re not on LAL’s level. LAL are more of a rival with Dal RIGHT NOW, come playoff time that could switch. Naw dupe absurd would be using an article you haven’t even read to defend your claim or agreeing that since something is popular opinion (i.e. trending on the internet) is a ridiculous defense. You know what was trending Sun night? Kyle Williams death threats. So it’s all about context with this stuff. Appreciate your points, but my comments are far from redundant or absurd at this point. But enjoy the juice box and orange slices for your participation on this one. See now you’re even trying to qualify it by calling it a simple rivalry. It’s only a simple rivalry cause the Clips have simply sucked. If the LAL beat the Clips so what, if the Clips beat the LAL it’s a story. That’s not a rivalry, if the Clips take the season series, advance further in the playoffs and start getting more primetime games at Staples (LA heads know what I mean with the Clips and LAL sharing it) next year then we got a rivalry…

  • Pais

    @Heals – Firstly, I couldn’t agree more in regards to the Clips historically being no where close to the Lakers.
    Second, referencing the media was not intended to bolster my argument that this is a rivalry, it was a rebuttal to a single, solitary point made by nbk.
    Third, apologies for not being clear. ‘Absurd’, is the idea that to acknowledge this as being rivalry diminishes anything. ‘Redundant’, is this entire debate.
    Fourth, neither I nor anyone else has attempted to contend that this is anything beyond a simple rivalry.
    And lastly, although I don’t have a juice box, I swear to you, I’m actually eating an orange right now (hilarious I know).

  • burnt_chicken

    my nbk gem-o-the-day: “The Lakers and Clippers are not sharing a market, LA is Laker land. This is not like that” I’m guessing nbk is a demographer who uniquely understands the Los Angeles populace because of his years of rigorous study and in-depth work. Or at least he MUST be a guy who was born there and/or lives there and knows LA intimately, right? Right?

  • Drunyce

    Actions speak louder than words. You’re ‘not one of his kids’, but your actions were CHILDish. Pau took the Clips to school last night. CP3 was clearly upset they lost the game. He should have been mad at Griffin for that matador defense Pau took advantage of.

  • http://www.twitter.com/nflem41 Nicolas Fleming

    Yeah, but is Chris one of Shawn Kemp’s kids?

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

    I know LA well enough to know for certain it’s Laker land. But if you need me to show you a comment from an LA resident then here,

    “T-Ray Posted: Jan.26 at 2:52 pm
    I gotta side with nbk. I live in LA and honestly the only people who are on the Clippers are their true supporters and a few bandwagon fans other than that it’s all purple and gold. Until the city is divided it’s not a rivalry.”

  • http://dodgers.com Joey E.

    son’d him. hilarious

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