“I’m not giving up my number!” Jersey #3 SABOTAGED Chris Paul’s stunning trade to join LeBron James and Dwyane Wade at Miami Heat

Chris Paul has had a fantastic career to date, although he hasn’t won an NBA title. During a conversation with Dwyane Wade, Paul revealed that he could have joined the Miami Heat alongside Wade and LeBron James. Wade and James played an instrumental role in the Heat’s championship runs in 2012 and 2013. But Paul gave a bizarre reason for not joining the franchise that involved a peculiar case of Jersey #3.

Chris Paul was a guest on the show The Why with Dwyane Wade. Among many discussions, Paul and Wade discussed what happened during the days leading up to the formation of the Heat Big 3. Wade went on to say that people do not know about the trade that did not happen. Paul added his bit, saying:

CJ (Paul's brother) was sitting on the couch. We was talking about me coming to Miami. We was talking about who gonna have the ball in their hands, how it's gonna work, we having a conversation..... and then CJ asked 'who gonna wear no. 3?'...... I'm not giving up my number!

Chris Paul via The Why with Dwyane Wade

Paul added that he, James, and Wade had conversations about how to work as a team. However, the jersey number issue blew the trade up. Dwyane Wade used No. 3 throughout his collegiate and iconic Miami Heat career. Wade was not willing to give up his favorite number.

So, if Paul had to join the Heat, he would have to choose a different number, something to which he was attached throughout his career. For both players, Jersey #3 was their brand image.

Paul joked that Wade should have switched to a different number, considering he was already the veteran on the team. Wade countered that Paul had botched a championship-winning trade by refusing to move from No. 3.

What could have been if Chris Paul joined the Miami Heat

Once Chris Bosh decided to join Dwyane Wade in Miami, everyone in the basketball universe knew that LeBron James would follow. But this interview revealed that James and Wade talked with Paul about teaming up. They also confirmed that the Heat President, Pat Riley, had advanced talks to bring Paul to Florida.

Had Paul joined the Big 3, they might have won all four NBA titles while LeBron James was on the team. The combination of the four might have made it difficult for the rest of the teams to go against.

Even with two superstars rested, the other two could keep the scores high enough to avoid a turnaround. After all, all four were the respective scoring leaders on their teams.

But as Dwyane Wade mentioned, he was willing to give up everything except Jersey #3. Paul and Wade were unwilling to trade their career-defining jersey numbers for anything. Paul could have added an NBA title to his resume. Nevertheless, Paul remains on the hunt for a title with the Golden State Warriors.

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