What exactly is the reason behind Cousins' dislike for Paul?

Time might smooth over many things, but it definitely hasn't eased Cousins' hatred for Chris Paul. Having been out of the NBA for a long time and playing in foreign leagues, with many of his draft peers now retired, Cousins' own retirement day is probably not far off.

However, his dislike for Paul has not diminished at all over time. Recently, during a show appearance, Cousins stated, "Can we make a top five point guards list in history? Paul shouldn’t even be on it. I really don’t understand why he’s always included in every top five point guard list."

Regardless of whether Paul truly belongs in the top five point guards historically, you can tell Cousins’ stance just from his tone. Paul has made many enemies during his career, but perhaps only Cousins has openly expressed such strong dislike for him.

Paul might be one of the NBA’s most notorious players for using crafty tactics; fans who like him see it as basketball IQ, while those who don’t see it as cheap tricks. To Cousins, these antics are the root of all their conflicts.

Paul’s penchant for sneaky moves combined with Cousins’ fiery temper is like dry wood meeting a spark—always ready to ignite. Every time they faced each other, Paul would find a way to provoke Cousins.

Back when Cousins was a rookie with the Kings, during a defensive play, Paul deliberately leaned into Cousins and then dramatically fell, making it seem like Cousins had pushed him intentionally. Paul often exaggerates contact to influence referees, but such blatant acting is rare.

This was Cousins’ first experience seeing basketball played in such a manipulative way. Being straightforward by nature, he naturally despised Paul’s sly tactics, planting the seeds of his dislike.

On another occasion, after grabbing a defensive rebound near the baseline, Cousins saw Paul trying to poke the ball out from behind, which would have resulted in Paul stepping out of bounds anyway, making the attempt pointless. Recognizing it was Paul, Cousins forcefully slammed the ball toward him, and Paul’s curled-up reaction now looks quite comical.

Not only did Cousins dislike Paul personally, but he also prevented his teammates from interacting with him. Once, when Thomas tried to greet Paul, Cousins pulled Thomas away, stopping any conversation between them.

Later, when Cousins was a free agent recovering from a serious Achilles injury and considering championship contenders, he chose the Bucks over the Suns precisely because Paul was on the Suns.

In the 2021 Western Conference Finals, during a clash between the Clippers and Cousins and Paul, no one was surprised by the tension. As Paul passed by Cousins, he deliberately leaned into him. Cousins gave a slight elbow motion that grazed Paul’s neck but didn’t use force.

Paul then fell to the ground, and the referees called a technical foul on Cousins. Cousins gave a wry, helpless smile. After reviewing the replay, everyone understood what really happened. That year, the Suns eliminated the Clippers, and Cousins said, "A ridiculous actor won an ugly victory. He’s always been like that. I don’t like him. The NBA has lost its original flavor because of him."

When Cousins was out of the league, Paul commented, "Cousins can’t play in the league for many reasons. I think low basketball IQ is one of them, and the severe injuries he suffered were devastating blows."

Cousins and Paul are fundamentally incompatible; even if they were teammates, conflict would be inevitable because neither can stand the other. As for which style is more favored in the NBA, reality has already provided the answer.