Chris Paul and James Harden: Why Did the Duo That Scared the Warriors Super Team Seperate?

The Golden State Warriors dynasty was one of the most dominating in modern times. They broke all kinds of records and won three championships. They were unchallenged for a number of years. However, a certain duo got really close to dethroning them. Chris Paul and James Harden took the Bay to seven games in the conference finals but lost as CP3 picked up an injury. But why did such a dynamic duo break up?

Chris Paul’s brother spoke about his journey after the veteran made his first-ever NBA finals with the Phoenix Suns last season.

Chris Paul and Harden were a big-time duo in the NBA. They complimented each other really well on the court and even led the Rockets to the number one seed. Moreover, they pushed the Golden State Warriors with Kevin Durant to seven games in the conference finals. But then a season later, in a surprise move, Chris Paul was traded away to Oklahoma.

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Why did Chris Paul and James Harden break up?

The story of Chris Paul and the Houston Rockets is as shocking as it gets. Only two years before his trade, he helped the franchise to their first-ever number one seed season. Then he took them to the conference finals, where they matched up against the Golden State Warriors. If it wasn’t for an injury to the veteran, there was a good chance the Rockets would have come out on top in that series.

The next year, they lost to the Warriors once again in the second round of the playoffs. However, they didn’t go down without a fight, taking them to six games. Everything was looking good for Houston, and Morey told Chris Paul they have no intentions of trading him.

However, in a surprise move, the Rockets gave up Paul and future picks to acquire Russell Westbrook from OKC. This move surprised even CP3 as Morey had reassured him about his status with the team. This is how the James Harden and CP3 duo was broken apart.

CJ Paul spoke about this and said, “Daryl Morey said he wasn’t going to trade Chris. Think about that. And now he’s going to the Finals on a team that three and four years ago he never would have played at. We thought Houston was going to be the last stop, and now it’s been two more stops. We’re just enjoying this, and I’m just happy for Chris.”

But it turned out to be the move that propelled CP3 into the NBA finals.

How did the trade end up for both sides?

CP3 spent just a single season with OKC. However, his leadership really came on display and attracted the eyes of the Phoenix Suns. Paul took the Suns from a low-seed team all the way to their first NBA finals appearance in 28 years. While he did lose, Paul continues to lead the Suns as they currently sit with the best record in the NBA.

For the Rockets, the Russ trade did not work out. The Harden-Westbrook duo played just one season together before Russ made his way to Washington. Moreover, even James Harden requested for a trade shortly after and the organization fell apart.

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As it stands, the Rockets are currently the third-worst team in the NBA and are far away from a playoff berth. Do you think Chris Paul can take the Suns to the NBA finals this season as well? Let us know in the comments below.