Lakers coach Byron Scott on vetoed Chris Paul trade: 'Damn it, David Stern'

Fans aren't the only ones who have dreamed about what a Chris Paul-led Los Angeles Lakers team would have looked like.

One such person is Lakers coach Byron Scott, who can't help but think of a backcourt with Paul and Kobe Bryant playing together.

It was, of course, lined up to happen. A three-team trade involving the Lakers, New Orleans Hornets and Houston Rockets was agreed upon in December 2011 before commissioner David Stern stepped in and nixed the deal.

"I can really imagine that," Scott said, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. "I would go to bed with a smile on my face if that was the case. Sometimes you want to say, 'Damn it, David Stern.'"

Paul was instead moved days later to the Los Angeles Clippers. Once the laughing stock of the NBA, Paul added instant credibility to the Clippers, who are now the clear-cut best team in Los Angeles.