Kenyon Martin: Chris Paul Rubs Guys the Wrong Way by Acting Like a Coach

Former NBA star Kenyon Martin spoke out Friday on Chris Paul and gave his opinion on why things didn't work out between Paul and James Harden with the Houston Rockets. 

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Martin shared his thoughts on Paul's demeanor and the type of role he attempts to assume on a basketball team:

Martin said that he thinks Paul always wants to be the "biggest voice in the room" when it comes to basketball and expanded on that opinion: 

"Chris Paul thinks he knows more than the average person about basketball. ... We understand the point guard is supposed to be the coach's voice on the floor and all that, but you're not the smartest person all the time. Sometimes you can listen, and I think he has a hard time taking that part of it."

Also, Martin agreed with the assessment that Paul tries to be a coach more than a player at times and noted that it rubs some players the wrong way.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Royce Young reported Thursday the Rockets agreed to send Paul, two future first-round picks and the right to swap two further future first-round picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Russell Westbrook.

Martin spent 15 seasons in the NBA and was a one-time All-Star. In 2011-12, he appeared in 42 games for the Los Angeles Clippers as Paul's teammate.

The Clippers never made it past the second round of the playoffs during Paul's six-season tenure, which led to L.A. trading him to the Rockets in 2017. Harden and Paul seemed to co-exist well in their first season together, as Houston reached Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals in 2017-18.

Houston took a step back last season, and it was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Golden State Warriors.

After the Rockets' season ended, Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports reported that the relationship between Paul and Harden was "unsalvageable." With Houston opting to send Paul and picks to OKC for Westbrook, there may have been something to that report.

Both Harden and Paul are used to being the go-to guy, and while some players are able to put that aside, that may not have been the case for Harden and Paul. Harden may find himself in a similar predicament during the 2019-20 season, though, with a fellow NBA MVP in Westbrook joining the fray.

Chris Paul Highlight Reel

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CP3 is a nine-time All-Star with career averages of 18.5 points, 9.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. Although he has never reached the NBA Finals, his production alone is likely to land him in the Hall of Fame one day.

The 34-year-old Paul still has a stigma attached to him due to his lack of playoff success, though, and it is fair to wonder if that has something to do with players being less receptive to him as a leader.

OKC isn't likely to be a playoff team next season in the loaded Western Conference, but Paul has a chance to prove his worth as a veteran leader since he will be playing alongside young point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was acquired by the Thunder from the Clippers in the Paul George trade.