Cowboys lock in another key player with big-money deal

Rich Paul has chosen to start hating like a pro this week.

[{"selector":"#anim-d790c3d8-0309-445a-9cd9-e06ac72d3b58","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3d943d83-e787-41fa-ae86-ae38326bc7b5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1100,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fd0320d1-bc72-49be-990a-92d1ac2a13a7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.8265%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1100,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Paul's recent visit on Gilbert Arenas' show "Gil's Arena" made some people look at him in a different way.

[{"selector":"#anim-bf6cf680-c253-46a5-a3e0-ae7c10aafe50","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ddd4a35a-972d-42f2-9e57-e470e8615514","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1100,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e0d0c354-1bd9-4c82-ba14-97e34dcce526","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.8265%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1100,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

In the middle of an argument in the Orlando bubble about whether or not the Los Angeles Lakers' 2020 title was real, Paul, who represents LeBron James.

[{"selector":"#anim-5e898886-639b-47c7-bebd-40589d37b56b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-892fb3ce-8d08-4c38-8983-095a04b0aec4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1100,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7ad9e775-590b-43ca-8e3a-68cd076eb1b4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.8265%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1100,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Paul's main point was that fans and the media (supposedly) pick on James too much.

[{"selector":"#anim-dae9e9ca-bfd9-480a-be55-5c87c812764f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4cac4b89-2319-4c70-8e6e-2563eeed2e61","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1100,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-36f1cc7b-a6ff-477f-93bc-718575757be4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.8265%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1100,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

But Paul had no reason to bring up Curry's name, especially to make it sound like Curry is a media favorite who can't do anything wrong.

[{"selector":"#anim-fc976dff-4935-4b08-b14b-0b33d7ac8538","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0aa1a93a-359a-4dac-ba3f-bc3f1816cbbd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1100,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-24cc1c87-1d26-4c58-8c8c-c5a92b98f898","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.8265%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1100,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Curry gets a lot of the same criticism as James when it comes to his accomplishments.

[{"selector":"#anim-2e9a14dc-f4b9-4305-9a00-f801df0ff6d9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b64ef09f-2c26-4c42-9a27-8785250b76c7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1100,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ce69b3ea-df05-457e-98eb-47e7d7c7d8bf","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.8265%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1100,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

For example, he won't win Finals MVP until 2022, he had to play against hurt opponents on his way to the 2015 title, Kevin Durant lifted him in 2017 and 2018, and so on.

[{"selector":"#anim-5e49d5fe-30fb-4f32-93cf-f1f0276b6c4d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-35a65f55-c492-4fb8-9edb-f40ce4d23acd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1100,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-62c623c7-4ebe-46df-8b72-1f6d37d01ac6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.8265%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1100,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Curry is seen by many as James's biggest rival, especially since they played each other in four straight NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018.

[{"selector":"#anim-45524871-c6a9-4749-8885-113d9b72f4b4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6a3fa38f-f408-4176-878e-14ef53efb8e5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1100,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-73c0b238-5420-4993-8d78-d14aaebe9fca","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.8265%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1100,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]