Having been in the NBA for over 19 years now, Chris Paul has faced off against a vast field of unique players, spanning different generations. And such gem-like players are quite rare. Even LeBron James is set to make history soon, as he’ll become the first father to take the NBA court with his son in a regular season game. CP3 is in a similar boat, as he might not have expected to go face-to-face against the son of one of his former teammates. Surprisingly, the 9x NBA All-Star all went up against Tajh Ariza, son of ex-Laker Trevor Ariza. The moment was too unique not to highlight, causing both individuals to take to social media.

A few hours ago, Tajh Ariza showcased a photo of himself and Chris Paul on an Instagram story. It highlighted the duo competing at the first annual JT Elite Camp, an initiative launched by Boston Celtics star and recent NBA champion Jayson Tatum. Other NBA players present on the court as mentors included Tatum, Bam Adebayo, and Paolo Banchero. The 39-year-old was certainly in awe of Tajh’s on-court skills. This caused him to repost Tajh’s Instagram story with the caption “@TREVORARIZA THIS IS SO CRAZY!!”

Trevor Ariza’s basketball days have been behind him ever since he was waived by the Lakers in 2022, after an 18-year-long NBA career. However, instead of dwelling on the past, he is now focusing on his 16-year-old son. Back in March, when asked whether he misses the sport, the veteran stated, “No, not really… Because my son, my son, is really good, and I want to just give everything to basketball.” The 6-foot-8 Tajh Ariza is currently making waves during his high school tenure at St Bernard High. While much is not known about his current stats, the player did reportedly average 10.3 points and 4.6 rebounds during Nike’s EYBL E15 Circuit.

He has already received offers from over three prominent universities, including the University of South Carolina and Washington. Tajh is undoubtedly on his way to follow in his father’s footsteps and establish a clear path toward the NBA. Furthermore, having already impressed a veteran player like Chris Paul, he has positioned himself as a name to watch out for.

For this next part of the story, let’s roll back the calendar a few years and reminisce on a heartbreaking yet historic 2017-18 playoffs when Trevor Ariza and Chris Paul almost achieved a Championship together!

Tajh’s dad believed that a healthy Chris Paul could have led Houston to a Championship!

In his 19-year NBA career, Chris Paul has never managed to secure the Larry O’Brien trophy. However, back in 2018, he and the Houston Rockets came quite close. The franchise defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first round of the playoffs, the Utah Jazz in the second, and took a 3-2 lead during the Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors. Unfortunately, the win in Game 5 came with some unexpected consequences, as Chris Paul ended up developing a hamstring injury and was declared out of the lineup. The Rockets could not hold it together and ended up losing the series.

Trevor Ariza, who was Chris Paul’s teammate during that unfortunate stint, talked about the Conference Finals during a recent interview. The former player unhesitantly said, “For sure. I mean, yeah… I’m confident that we was gonna win if CP was healthy.” Ariza highlighted how the Rockets mirrored the playing style of the Warriors, building up their roster in the same manner to be on a competitive footing. However, he also believed that Stephen Curry and Co. had more athleticism, which ultimately gave them the edge.

The average regular season stat of 18.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 7.9 assists that Chris Paul had secured was amongst his best. After the 2017-18 season, those same numbers were not to be seen again. While Trevor Ariza already had a championship ring to his name, Paul missed out on getting one for himself after complications from his injury.

Before leaving, be sure to check out some insights that Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, shared about the Lakers legend’s infamous feud with the late Kobe Bryant.