Why did the league disallow the trade of CP3 to the Lakers in 2011?

[dankok8]

Officially it was for "basketball reasons". What was the actual reason?

Let conspiracy theories begin.

[Axe]

If only we could still ask kobe and stern about this shit lol.

[highwhey]

the crazy thing is a decade later every other team has a super team lol.

[RRR3]

Because the league owned the New Orleans team at the time. If they had an owner at the time Stern couldn't have done shit.

[GimmeThat]

personal bias. had it been under a draft, or arguments of bad fit after trade, basketball reasons could have been thrown out.

but then you have to factor in unspoken leniency of players dictating the league by not showing up and trade demands.

in the end, some dude was skipping town, and no one wanted to look like the sucker after all is said and done.

[Kblaze8855]

We don’t have to guess. The actual Email Dan Gilbert sent to Stern to force a vote of the other owners was leaked so we know for a fact what the issue was. An awful lot of Laker fans liked Dan Gilbert at the time till they realized that both of them hating Lebron did not mean they were actually on the same side:

Commissioner,
It would be a travesty to allow the Lakers to acquire Chris Paul in the apparent trade being discussed.
This trade should go to a vote of the 29 owners of the Hornets.
Over the next three seasons this deal would save the Lakers approximately $20 million in salaries and approximately $21 million in luxury taxes. That $21 million goes to non-taxpaying teams and to fund revenue sharing.
I cannot remember ever seeing a trade where a team got by far the best player in the trade and saved over $40 million in the process. And it doesn't appear that they would give up any draft picks, which might allow to later make a trade for Dwight Howard. (They would also get a large trade exception that would help them improve their team and/or eventually trade for Howard.) When the Lakers got Pau Gasol (at the time considered an extremely lopsided trade) they took on tens of millions in additional salary and luxury tax and they gave up a number of prospects (one in Marc Gasol who may become a max-salary player).
I just don't see how we can allow this trade to happen.
I know the vast majority of owners feel the same way that I do.
When will we just change the name of 25 of the 30 teams to the Washington Generals?
Please advise...
Dan G.

The other owners had a brief run also owning the hornets while they figured out the ownership situation, and they took advantage to make sure the Lakers didn’t get Chris Paul and Dwight Howard. It’s really that simple. He lays out the whole problem he has, and has never denied the emails authenticity far as I know.

[dankok8]

We don’t have to guess. The actual Email Dan Gilbert sent to Stern to force a vote of the other owners was leaked so we know for a fact what the issue was. An awful lot of Laker fans liked Dan Gilbert at the time till they realized that both of them hating Lebron did not mean they were actually on the same side:





The other owners had a brief run also owning the hornets while they figured out the ownership situation, and they took advantage to make sure the Lakers didn’t get Chris Paul and Dwight Howard. It’s really that simple. He lays out the whole problem he has, and has never denied the emails authenticity far as I know.

Oh damn... Didn't know that Gilbert did that.

Though unrelated, I think the Lebron-Gilbert feud was overblown by the media.

[tpols]

It's funny they didn't care about Lebron and Wade joining up at the peak of their primes saying they'd win not 5, not 6, not 7 rings but we're shitting their pants over old broken down Kobe playing with Chris Paul. Goes to show they were always petrified of giving Kobe real superstar help after Shaq left.

[ShawkFactory]

It's funny they didn't care about Lebron and Wade joining up at the peak of their primes saying they'd win not 5, not 6, not 7 rings but we're shitting their pants over old broken down Kobe playing with Chris Paul. Goes to show they were always petrified of giving Kobe real superstar help after Shaq left.

You understand that there was a vast difference in these circumstances, right?

I know it's fun for you to say what you just did, but it's really stupid and shows your lack of understanding of the situation. Doesn't seem like the pros of posting that outweigh the cons.

[tpols]

Eh you might be too young to remember (hopefully... for your sake) but that was the general sentiment. I remember people freaking out about Chris Paul joining the Lakers because he was a true superstar talent back then. And they were shitting their pants at giving Kobe that type help. They lost their minds over Pau and he wasn't even close to Paul's level... so with CP3 it was a WHOLE lot of crying.

[ShawkFactory]

I was in college when this happened (or about to start anyway). It doesn't matter what the "general sentiment" was. Or what you perceived it to be.

Lebron joining the Heat and this situation here were completely different. Again, I know it's fun for you to try to make a negative Lebron comment whenever applicable if Kobe is involved, but it's not relevant here at all.

[Kblaze8855]

It's funny they didn't care about Lebron and Wade joining up at the peak of their primes saying they'd win not 5, not 6, not 7 rings but we're shitting their pants over old broken down Kobe playing with Chris Paul. Goes to show they were always petrified of giving Kobe real superstar help after Shaq left.

I’m sure the owners cared quite a bit, but they had absolutely no standing to do anything about it. The laker trade was proposed at the one point in history a team was literally owned by the 29 other owners who could simply take a vote not to allow it. if the other owners could’ve just prevented the big three heat, I’m sure Gilbert would’ve tried to do so.

[SouBeachTalents]

I’m sure the owners cared quite a bit, but they had absolutely no standing to do anything about it. The laker trade was proposed at the one point in history a team was literally owned by the 29 other owners who could simply take a vote not to allow it. if the other owners could’ve just prevented the big three heat, I’m sure Gilbert would’ve tried to do so.

I don't think Gilbert cared that much about LeBron going to Miami. He in general didn't receive much criticism when he made that move.

[RRR3]

Thinking the other teams wouldn't have prevented (if they were able to) LeBron and Wade from joining up when both were, at the time, arguably the 2 best players in the league is pretty stupid. Owners want to win, they would never have allowed that if it was up to them. It was not up to them, though. It boggles my mind how a decade later Kobe stans still are incapable of understanding this situation.

[bison]

I don't think Gilbert cared that much about LeBron going to Miami. He in general didn't receive much criticism when he made that move.

You honestly think lebron didnt receive much criticism for going to Miami? Were you in a coma at the time?