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If the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers didn’t have a rivalry before Wednesday night, they certainly appear to have one now.
After Clippers forward Blake Griffin fouled Lakers forward Pau Gasol with 1.1 seconds remaining in the Lakers’ 96-91 win, Clippers guard Chris Paul tried to grab the ball from Gasol’s hands as the two began jawing at one another. Gasol and Paul continued to talk while Lakers guard Kobe Bryant got in front of the two as Gasol walked to the free throw line.
Before Gasol stepped to the line, he smiled and put his hand on top of Paul’s head. Paul immediately shoved Gasol’s hand away and tapped Gasol on his head.
“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.”
— Reported by Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles
And according to the Associated Press, “Gasol, who has no kids, insisted he was misunderstood. “I’m sorry he felt that way,” the Spanish 7-footer said. “I do that all the time with my teammates. Nothing mean about it.” When asked what Paul yelled at him after the game, Gasol called it “just trash.”
VIDEO OF PAU GASOL TOUCHING CHRIS PAUL’S HEAD
