When Chris Paul joined the Golden State Warriors in 2023, everyone agreed it was… pretty weird. On the surface, the reason is obvious: opposing forces. Stephen Curry’s Warriors won multiple championships in the 2010s, but they were all at Paul’s expense in some way. Paul got no personal accolades because Curry surpassed him as an elite point guard, and Paul’s Houston and Los Angeles teams got no glory because Golden State was better.
But it’s not just the rivalry. Paul’s joining the Warriors is also odd because of the feud. The Curry-Paul rivalry is complicated by the fact that Curry followed in Paul’s footsteps and considered him a mentor. It’s further complicated by the fact that Warriors players like Draymond Green pressured Curry to destroy that relationship and run against Paul. And… it’s definitely complicated by the fact that when the Clippers eliminated the pre-dynasty Warriors from the playoffs in 2014, Paul was caught up in a post-game fracas and mocked for Golden State’s loss.
Essentially, the Warriors continued to thrive by antagonizing Paul. They took pleasure in suppressing a player they viewed as manipulative and dirty, and in so doing, it only frustrated Paul and made him more aggressive.
To truly understand why Chris Paul joining the Warriors is so odd, you need to understand the player-versus-team feud that underlies that long-standing rivalry.
