Chris Paul had a three-year run with the Phoenix Suns, including a finals appearance for the first time since 1993. His impact on the Suns’ lineup was unmistakable, elevating their overall performance. Despite boasting such a “well-built” roster, Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks dismantled the Suns. In a surprising turn of events, the Mavericks ousted the top-seeded Suns with a commanding 123-90 victory in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals.

However, it was not just Dallas celebrating the elimination of a team with one of the best records. Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr admitted that he was happy the Mavericks eliminated the Suns, clearing a significant obstacle for the eventual champions.

Why was Steve Kerr happy about Chris Paul’s embarrassment?

The Suns blew a 2-0 lead to Dallas before eventually failing in Game 7. After the Mavericks eliminated the Suns; the Warriors went on to demolish the Mavericks in five games. They proceeded to tear down the Celtics in six games to win their fourth title. Dallas had removed a major threat from their way since the Suns and Warriors had split their last four regular-season games that season. The Suns emerged victorious in their last matchup that season, sweeping the Warriors in a 107-103 victory.

In a post-game interview, Kerr revealed, “They [Phoenix Suns] were only two wins away from a title but getting that far and watching that team play, they were so well-built…They were tough, they gave us a lot of problems. I?ll be perfectly honest: I was happy when they lost to Dallas that year. They had beaten us that year a couple of times and they were a tough matchup.”

In their next season, the Suns went 45-37, which also turned out to be Paul’s final season with them. Phoenix later traded Paul to Washington in exchange for Bradley Beal. CP3 was then moved to Golden State in a trade involving Jordan Poole.

Chris Paul’s homecoming gets ruined

CP3’s homecoming was, however, ruined after he got nailed with back-to-back technicals for arguing a foul call late in the second quarter. It began with veteran official Scott Foster calling a foul against Chris Paul on the perimeter. Paul then started hurling curses at the referee, which earned him his second foul for “unsportsmanlike” behavior. This could have serious consequences for CP3 since cursing at refs is a punishable offense in the league.

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Cp3 and Foster both have a long history, which apparently, according to Paul, involves his son. Paul said, “It’s personal. We had a situation some years ago, and it’s personal. The league knows, everybody knows. There’s been a meeting and all that. It’s just a situation with my son ? I’m OK with a ref talking, saying whatever. Just don’t use a tech to get your point across. I’ve got to do a better job making sure I stay on the floor for my teammates. That’s that.”

What are your thoughts on Chris Paul’s ejection? Let us know in the comments!

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