Dec. 8, 2011 was supposed to be the day that the Los Angeles Lakers extended their dynastic era. After winning two titles and reaching three NBA Finals since 2008, Los Angeles parted with pivotal title-winning pieces such as Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom to bring in All-NBA point guard Chris Paul.

Unfortunately, in one of the most shocking moments in NBA history, former commissioner David Stern vetoed the trade.

It was a bizarre period in NBA history, as the Association owned the New Orleans Hornets at the time of the deal. Many stories have been told over the years about what actually transpired, but the bottom line was that Stern vetoed the trade—and that some of the owners who were reportedly upset would go on to orchestrate blockbuster trades of their own.

Fast forward 14 years and current NBA commissioner Adam Silver has placed daggers in the hearts of Lakers fans by stating that he doesn’t believe a person in his position has the right to block a trade.

There’s zero reason to be angry at Silver, as he wasn’t the commissioner when the Paul trade was vetoed, but this is a shocking change of tone from the NBA.

Adam Silver says commissioner “doesn’t have the right to block a trade”—so what about CP3?

The crucial context is that Silver made these comments in reference to the Lakers acquiring Luka Doncic ahead of the 2025 NBA trade deadline. As such, he’s clearly put his money where his mouth is and perhaps learned from Stern’s questionable decision.

One simply can’t help but feel the sting of salt in the wound that was left by Stern’s decision to veto a trade that had already been completed.

For one, the Lakers could’ve built a backcourt for the ages with Kobe Bryant and Paul. They’re widely regarded as two of the best players in NBA history, dominating the game on both ends of the floor with league-leading seasons and All-Defense nods in abundance.

Bryant won five championships and two scoring titles, also securing 12 All-Defense nods, while Paul is a five-time assists leader, six-time steals leader, and nine-time All-Defense selectee.

Equal in significance to being robbed of the opportunity to build an all-time backcourt is the ramifications the veto had on Los Angeles’ locker room. The dynamics were never the same, as Gasol and Odom returned to an organization that had let them know they were willing to trade them.

Los Angeles still went 41-25 that season, but the questions about how much more they could’ve accomplished have persisted for 14 years.

It’s entirely possible that Bryant and Paul wouldn’t have been as generational a pairing as many hoped they’d be. One simply can’t help but wonder how two of the best defenders would’ve locked opposing teams down, all the while enabling Bryant to pace himself on offense with the NBA’s annual assists leader running the show.

Thankfully, Silver has now publicly stated that it’s not his place to make a decision of that nature in the future—a small source of solace despite all that went wrong.