NEWS UPDATE: An NBA Twelve-time All-Star outlines the reasons for the failed Miami Heat deal.

Instead of going to the Miami Heat, Chris Paul was dealt to the LA Clippers.

Chris Paul was on the verge of being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2011 before joining the LA Clippers. Many people have heard that tale before, but a lesser-known one regarding Paul’s discussion with Dwyane Wade about joining him and LeBron James on the Miami Heat was just made public.

When Paul appeared on a recent edition of The Why with Dwyane Wade, the two NBA greats talked about a possible collaboration they had before Paul signed with the Clippers.

We discuss everything, including who will get the ball and how we can all play together. “Off the ball, I can play,” declared Wade. “We figured all that out, then somebody said, ‘Well, who gonna wear No. 3?'”

After determining how well they would mesh on the floor, Paul and Wade were fixated on their own jersey numbers. Wade and Paul, who are both famous for donning the number three, were unwilling to switch to a new one, which made it difficult to reach an agreement that would allow them to become teammates.

The two NBA veterans delivered a humorous anecdote, and it’s amazing to consider how many events in the 2010s may have been different if just a jersey number had been chosen. Wade, James, and Chris Bosh won two championships with the Heat, but Paul moved on to form Lob City with the Clippers.