Overjoyed Chris Paul sends Trevor Ariza a three-word message after playing against the 16-year-old son of a younger, retired NBA star

Chris Paul has been in the NBA for over 19 years and has faced a large number of unique players from different generations. However, the athlete probably didn’t expect to face the son of one of his former teammates. In a surprise move, the 9-time NBA All-Star faced Tajh Ariza, the son of former Laker Trevor Ariza. The moment was too unique not to highlight and both individuals took to social media.

A few hours ago, Tajh Ariza posted a photo of himself and Paul on his official Instagram story. It showed the duo at the first annual JT Elite Camp, an initiative by Boston Celtics star and recent NBA champion Jayson Tatum. Other NBA players present at the on-court session included Tatum, Bam Adebayo and Paolo Banchero. The 39-year-old was certainly impressed with Tajh’s skills on the court. This prompted him to repost Tajh’s Instagram story with the caption “@TREVORARIZA THIS IS SO CRAZY!!”

Trevor Ariza’s basketball days are behind him since he was released by the Lakers in 2022 after an 18-year NBA career. But instead of dwelling on the past, he is now focusing on his 16-year-old son. When asked in March if he misses the sport, the veteran said: “No, not really… Because my son, my son, is really good, and I just want to give everything for basketball.” The 6’1″ Tajh Ariza is currently making waves during his high school years at St. Bernard High. Not much is known about his current stats, but the player reportedly averaged 10.3 points and 4.6 rebounds during Nike’s EYBL E15 circuit.

Ariza Jr. has already received offers from over five prestigious universities, including the University of South Carolina and Washington. He is well on his way to following in his father’s footsteps and having a clear path towards the NBA. In addition, he has already impressed a veteran player like Chris Paul and positioned himself as a player to keep an eye on.

Trevor Ariza believed that a healthy Chris Paul could have led the Houston Rockets to the championship victory

In his 19-year NBA career, Chris Paul has never managed to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy. However, in 2018, he and the Houston Rockets came very close. The franchise defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs, the Utah Jazz in the second, and took a 3-2 lead in the conference finals against the Golden State Warriors. Unfortunately, the Game 5 victory had some unexpected consequences, as Chris Paul suffered a hamstring injury and was taken out of the lineup. The Rockets couldn’t pull themselves together and ended up losing the series.

Trevor Ariza, who was Chris Paul’s teammate during that unfortunate time, spoke about the Conference Finals in a recent interview. The former player said without hesitation: “Absolutely. I mean, yeah…I’m confident we would win if CP was healthy.” Ariza highlighted that the Rockets mirrored the Warriors’ style of play and built their roster in the same way to be competitive, but he also believed that Stephen Curry and Co. had more athleticism, which ultimately gave them an advantage.

Chris Paul’s regular season averages of 18.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 7.9 assists were among his best. After the 2017-18 season, those numbers weren’t seen again. While Trevor Ariza already had a championship ring to his name, Paul missed the opportunity to get one himself due to complications from his injury.

Before you go, be sure to check out some insight that Shaquille O’Neal’s former agent, Leonard Armato, shared about the Lakers legend’s infamous feud with the late Kobe Bryant.