“We talk a lot about things that’s going on in our lives or our careers. If we’re able to hit a milestone throughout the course of this marathon, we acknowledge one another. We congratulate one another.” LeBron said this in 2020, and it wasn’t for show. His words revealed a rare friendship with Chris Paul. They’ve supported each other for decades, starting from AAU circuits to the 2003 McDonald’s All-American Game. As their NBA journeys grew, so did their brotherhood. They weren’t just teammates at charity events. They became a support system off the court too.

Their chemistry was impossible to miss during their Olympic runs. In both Beijing and London, they played huge roles in bringing Team USA the gold medal. Paul ran the floor with his signature control while LeBron brought the flash and leadership. Watching them together felt like a glimpse of something greater. That’s why fans got excited when whispers of a Lakers reunion started spreading recently. It felt like the perfect moment for them to finally share a season, this time in Los Angeles. With Paul nearing the twilight of his career and LeBron still pushing limits, it felt like basketball fate might bring them together.

But things don’t always go as imagined. According to The Stein Line, Paul may instead return to a different locker room in Los Angeles. “The Los Angeles Clippers, in addition to Phoenix, are another of Paul’s former teams that is said to be weighing a second engagement,” the report shared. His family stayed in Los Angeles during his recent season in Texas, which only adds fuel to the rumors. A reunion with the Clippers is starting to look far more likely than anything involving the Lakers right now.

And the Hornets? They wanted in too. “The Stein Line has likewise learned that the Charlotte Hornets also planned to make a run at Paul,” the outlet noted. But Charlotte Hornets insiders now expect him to stay out West if he returns for another season. Paul grew up in North Carolina, and Charlotte hoped to bring him home, at least as a veteran leader alongside LaMelo Ball. With them now looking at Ty Jerome instead, it’s clear they’ve moved on. The story of Paul and James might still be one of friendship, but on-court partnership seems out of reach, at least for now.

LeBron James and Chris Paul’s banana boat bond shows why their reunion meant more than basketball

While trade talks may have cast doubt on a Lakers reunion, they cannot erase the depth of Paul and James’ bond.

The NBA is known for its fierce rivalries, but it also brings players together in unexpected ways. Some of the league’s strongest bonds have formed off the court, and one of the most talked-about friendships is between LeBron James, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, and Carmelo Anthony. Fans later dubbed them the “Banana Boat Crew,” a name that stuck after a now-famous vacation photo from 2015. They never shared the same NBA roster, but that picture turned their connection into a basketball legend.

Dwyane Wade recently shared the real story behind the viral moment on Pardon My Take. He said, “My wife was on the banana boat with us. We were actually all on vacation together.” He added, “We were just, you know, getting in the water, having fun, and my wife wanted to go on a banana boat. So Chris Paul, Bron, I we all got on a banana boat.” That wasn’t even the wildest part.

Gabrielle Union previously claimed full credit on Hot Ones, saying, “I will take credit for the banana boat fiasco or glory, depending on how you look at it.” She convinced the guys to get on despite their hesitation, saying, “No one is gonna see us.” That turned out to be very wrong.

Once the ride began, chaos followed. Union recalled, “That boat took off, and no one was really prepared.” She said the entire crew fell off mid-turn, laughing through the pain. Still, the cameras only caught the calm before the fall.

The image became a meme, but for them, it was something more. It captured a friendship bigger than the game and some memories, only the group is privy to.