Chris Paul officially has been a member of the Warriors organization for nearly a full month. But it’s still going to take some time for fans to get used to seeing Paul in a Golden State uniform, considering their intense rivalry over the last decade.
That includes Golden State coach Steve Kerr, who lives in internet infamy for his viral exchange with Paul in 2018 when the guard appeared to laugh along at a joke with Kerr, only to shelter his smile as soon as the coach turned around.
"I think we were joking about traveling -- but, you know, he was not joking -- I was joking about traveling,” Kerr said with a smile Wednesday on ESPN. “He didn’t want any part of it.”
Paul addressed the moment back in 2020 when he was still an archrival of Kerr and the Warriors.
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“Why did I fake laugh at Steve Kerr? Because wasn’t s--t funny.”
Kerr was a good sport addressing the moment, and he reflected on his team’s changing dynamic with Paul. The Warriors have faced off against Paul three times in the playoffs, with Paul and the Los Angeles Clippers sending the Warriors home in 2014, and Golden State ending his season twice with the Rockets.
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"You know, one of the funny things about this league is that you compete against people and especially if you see someone in the playoffs, over and over again like we did with Chris in Houston,” Kerr said Wednesday. “And then all of a sudden you’re teammates or you're coaching someone and you laugh at moments like this where, you know, you're at each other's throats for much of your career.
“It reminded me a little bit of when I played. Reggie Miller and I played against each other in college and then the pros as well. I used to hate Reggie. And then we became broadcast partners and became great friends.
“I feel like that's kind of how it's going to be with Chris. We've all hated him, you know, because we were competing and he was so good. And now that's our guy and we love him."
My oh my, how times have changed.
