Two seemingly non-confrontational NBA players had it out on Wednesday night over a perceived act of disrespect.
Late in the Lakers 96-91 victory over the Clippers, two players who were nearly traded for one another -- Chris Paul of the Clippers and Pau Gasol of the Lakers -- exchanged some heated words. According to the Los Angeles Times, Gasol reached down and rubbed Paul's head with 1.1 seconds left in the game, which sparked the disagreement.
It's anyone's guess as to why Gasol touched Paul's head, but in the video above it appears that Paul was calling the big man soft, -- a critique he's often heard throughout his career -- before the act took place.
"Don't touch the top of my head like I'm one of your kids," Paul said in the locker room after the game. "If you're a grown man I'm not going to put my hand on top of your head."
Gasol played down the incident when asked for his side of the story. "I'm sorry he felt that way. I do that all the time with my teammates," he explained. "It's OK, it's like if I touch your shoulder or your back, there's nothing mean about it."
The talent was already there for a good rivalry, but now that it's clear the two teams don't care for each other, we have the makings of something great brewing in Los Angeles.
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