Lakers vs. Clippers: Overreaction by Chris Paul Illustrates His Immaturity

Well, I think it's safe to say the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers don't really like one another all that much.

That fact was punctuated at the end of the game last night, when Chris Paul overreacted to Pau Gasol putting his hand over his head.

Paul was still seething about the incident after the game, seemingly taking the gesture too personally. From Arash Markazi of ESPN:

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"He tried to touch the top of my head. I don't like that," Paul said after the game. "I got a son of my own. I don't know if Pau got kids, but don't touch the top of my head like I'm one of your kids. I don't know what his intentions were, and it doesn't matter. I don't know if he's got kids, but I'm not one of them."

When Paul was asked why he tried to touch Gasol on his head, he said, "I went back and I tried to treat him like little Chris."

"You're a grown man," Paul said. "I'm not going to put my hand on top of your head. They beat us, and that's the story of the game."

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Gasol claims he meant nothing disrespectful by the gesture, though you be the judge.

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"I'm sorry he felt that way," Gasol said. "I do that all the time with my teammates. It's OK. It's like if I touch your shoulder or your back. There's nothing mean about it, but it is what it is."

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I have a great deal of respect for the fiery and competitive Paul—I respect guys who play to win every night and play with an edge. But Paul is also one of the leaders on this Clippers team, and he needs to pick his spots better than this.

The game was over, and Gasol's gesture—while, if nothing else, a bit condescending—didn't warrant Paul's reaction. Just nudge him away from you more subtly, let him know under your breath you didn't appreciate the gesture and call it a night.

While the incident didn't escalate, it certainly could have given how chippy the game was throughout. Sometimes, hard as it can be in the heat of the moment, you have to be the bigger man.

It's a mark of leadership.

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