If you remember the Doc Rivers talks with the Clippers, they went on for a bit, stalled out, then started up again out of the blue and a deal got done. Some deals are like that, both sides need to walk away for a bit and take a deep breath, think about it then come back and hammer things out.

And sometimes those deals need a push to get going.

We all know Chris Paul has had a lot of influence over the Clippers moves the past couple years, and over at Grantland Bill Simmons (founder of that site and part of ESPN’s pre/postgame show last year) published a rumor that has been around the league — CP3 gave the Rivers talks a push.

To Chris Paul, who basically told the Clippers that after they squashed the first incarnation of their Doc Rivers trade. Chris didn’t like that. He let them know he was heading to Houston to team up with Dwight. And he wasn’t kidding. For about 36 hours, Morey probably felt like all 11 guys in “Ocean’s Eleven.” You know what happened next: The Clippers blinked, the Doc trade got revived and finished, and the Clippers were offering Chris 107 million reasons to play for him. Crisis averted. The lesson, as always: Chris Paul runs the Clippers.

I listed this as a rumor, not a report, so take some salt with it. My question is: What if the Clippers had called his bluff? Would Paul really have left the Clippers for the Rockets? I’m not sold on that. But the Clippers were never going to call that bluff because they haven’t called his bluff for two seasons. Jamal Crawford is a Clipper because CP3 wanted him. Paul didn’t directly fire Vinny Del Negro he simply chose not to save him, which was enough of an indication for Donald Sterling to know what he had to do.

Is this rumor true? Decide for yourself. Rumors, like myths and legends, are rarely 100 percent true but more stories built around what people believe to be true. But if perception is reality this is how many NBA fans will remember the Doc Rivers hiring by the Clippers.