Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.
That’s the mindset of Chris Paul – who was traded to the Golden State Warriors last week for Jordan Poole – when he was asked about whether he wants forward Draymond Green to return to the Warriors during free agency.
“Absolutely,” Paul told TMZ Sports.
The two veterans have never quite met eye-to-eye, however, as they are two of the fiercest competitors the league has to offer.
Back in 2020, Green spoke about his non-existent relationship with Paul during an episode of the All The Smoke podcast hosted by former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson.
“I don’t like CP at all,” Green said about Paul. “Like we don’t have a good relationship at all, but I respect his hustle and I respect his IQ.”
Green also went on to say that Paul had always been wary of Stephen Curry because one day Paul would decline and Curry would surpass him as a top point guard in the league.
Draymond Green and Chris Paul drew very hard lines in regards to their relationship prior to Paul joining the Warriors.Getty Images
Chris Paul and Stephen Curry go from once bitter rivals to now soon-to-be teammates.
“I would kinda see CP keep Steph at bay, but yet… giving him a stiff arm at the same time. Now Steph is Steph. We all love Steph. He ain’t got the street part to him. So with me coming from where I come from and the way I came up, I’m kinda watching like yo, he kinda rock with you Steph but he kinda don’t, he kinda keeping you at bay. I took it upon myself to try and create division.”
If the intentional division by Green wasn’t enough, Paul’s teams and the Warriors have met in the playoffs multiple times.
Paul and the Clippers won the first postseason matchup against Golden State back in 2014 in a grueling and highly contested seven-game series.
Once the 12-time All-Star landed in Houston, he had to face off against the Kevin Durant-led Warriors in back-to-back postseasons in 2018 and 2019.
Chris Paul trying to fend off Draymond Green during the 2018 Western Conference Finals.Getty Images
Despite all the playoff battles between Paul and the Warriors, he’s ready to get to work alongside Curry, Thompson and potentially Green as well following his trade from the Washington Wizards.
“I’m excited,” Paul said. “I know I’ve been the sworn enemy for a long time but I cannot wait to be there, and I cannot wait to get in the locker room with all those guys.”
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