Before the Los Angeles Lakers acquired veteran point guard Steve Nash via trade, they tried to acquire another skillful point guard.

Last year NBA commissioner David Stern nixed a trade that would have sent point guard Chris Paul from the then league-owned New Orleans Hornets to the Lakers in a package that would have included Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. A week later he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers instead.

Now it seems that Paul, who is featured on the covers of October's GQ, told the magazine that he actually preferred being traded to the Clippers rather than the Lakers last year.

"They had the better pieces," Paul said. "And winning with the Clippers would be legendary."

Paul also said he was still irritated about being patted on the head by Gasol when the Lakers played the Clippers last season, causing the two to be separated in the waning seconds of the game.

"We call that sonnin'," Paul said. "Like when I take Li'l Chris to the bathroom, I'll walk with my hand on his head. That's my son. You know what I mean? I understand that Gasol is that tall, but don't do to me what I do to my son."

The Clippers' training camp begins Oct. 1. The Clippers will play the Lakers in a preseason game Oct. 24 and their first regular-season game will be Nov. 2.