NBA was right about Chris Paul trade

Remember when you were a teenager? And your parent or guardian told you that you couldn't do something....that you really wanted to do? And their only reasoning was..."because I said so!"? Nine times out of ten our parents (and those of you that are parents) were right all along. Well...NBA commissioner David Stern pulled a "because I said so" when he nullified a potential trade to send all world point guard Chris Paul to the Lakers. Stern never gave an official reason why, he just basically said no. Instead, he approved a revised trade to send CP3 to the lowly cross town Clippers. Everyone was up in arms, including myself. It was another power hungry commissioner putting the players in their place. David Stern must be smiling from ear to ear now, because like it or not...he was absolutely right.

Let's say that Paul does go to the Lakers. What would we have? The eastern conference! Two or three dominant teams, and a scrap heap of below average teams with players you've never heard of. The Clippers would have been all but irrelevant, and their fans would have to suffer through yet another lottery pick season. Instead they were treated to the birth of Lob City. We watched the maturation of budding superstar Blake Griffin under Paul's guidance. And we saw a balanced, competitive race in the western conference with plenty of star power from teams one through ten. And guess what, both teams are still alive in the playoffs!

And let's not forget about the financial impact of Stern's decision. Two of the most exciting teams in the league now reside in the country's second largest media market. If you look back, not a week went by without the Lakers or Clippers  (or both) being on espn or tnt. The Lakers kept their big three, and the Clippers became contenders. It was a smart move and a good look all the way around. The only ones who didn't benefit was Dallas, because they wound up with Lamar Odom. But I digress.    follow @plcolter