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Golden State Warriors | Next up for Chris Paul’s big offseason: ‘AAU…

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Golden State Warriors

Golden state warriors | next up for chris paul’s big offseason: ‘aau dad’ life before contract decisions, for warriors point guard chris paul, being a father is the “greatest job”.

Chris Paul’s season ended earlier than it has in over a decade. He’d made the playoffs for 14 straight seasons. He was a fixture of May basketball.

But with the Warriors, Paul missed the playoffs despite teaming up with three other future Hall of Famers. Before this year, the last time he played for a lottery team was 2010.

Life was different back then. Paul was 24 and in his athletic prime. It was five teams ago, before he created pick-and-roll nirvana in Los Angeles with Blake Griffin. His first child, Chris Paul II, was only one year old; he’s now on the cusp of the preps basketball hype machine.

Paul is older and wiser now. He’s a father of two. He intends to extend his career into Year 20, confident in his ability to still drive efficient offenses. He did so this past season with the Warriors, even on a team that seemed like an awkward fit personality-wise but ended up being a tougher fit on the court.

Paul has a “big summer” ahead of him, he said. His offseason will be another one of training — which doesn’t get easier with age — negotiating and family time. For someone who has lived away from his wife and kids for the past four years, that third activity is a real silver lining.

“Yeah, don’t feel good,” Paul said of losing his playoff streak. “(But) I get a chance to travel and be an AAU dad, make some of my daughter’s volleyball games. “A little bit of a longer break than usual, but it is what it is.”

Paul never would’ve imagined playing with the Warriors before they traded for him. For many years, he battled Steph Curry and Draymond Green in the playoffs, often coming out on the losing end. Green feuded with him. Curry used him as a measuring stick early in his career, then surpassed him.

But Paul and Green became fast friends and somewhat of basketball kindred spirits. He got involved in multiple Bay Area-based charities, including one that helps create savings accounts for Oakland middle schoolers.

On the court, Paul was a member of several of Golden State’s most productive lineups. His counting numbers didn’t jump off his Basketball Reference page, but Paul stabilized the Warriors when Steph Curry sat more than any other time since Kevin Durant’s tenure.

Paul developed excellent pick-and-roll chemistry with rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis and ranked second in the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio among players who averaged at least 25 minutes per game.

A pleasant takeaway for Paul was the Warriors’ flexibility in finding pockets of time for the point guard and his family in Los Angeles to connect during the season. Paul is a 12-time All-Star, a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team and has made over $380 million in career earnings, but is  most proud of being Chris and Camryn’s dad.

“There’s no greater job,” Paul said of fatherhood in a mid-March conversation with this news organization.

When the Warriors traveled to games against the Lakers or Clippers, Paul would spend extra time with his family there. He occasionally brought his family on the team charter. When he was sidelined for six weeks with a fractured hand, he rehabbed at home in LA.

On March 15, a day before Golden State’s game in Crypto.com Arena, Paul brought his son to practice with the team at UCLA’s facility. The younger Paul rebounded for his dad and Curry. When practice wrapped up, the 14-year-old put up some shots of his own.

Paul has always liked to bring his son to practice. He raised him in locker rooms and brought him to postgame press conferences, where he went viral for making the “Blake Face” as a toddler.

Paul has always wanted his son around as much as possible to see what it takes to succeed.

“At the end of the day, I want both of my kids to look at me as Dad, and not as just as an NBA player,” Paul said. “And so that’s what’s most important. Making sure they get the opportunity to see the work. I always say this: Professional athletes, whoever they may be, their kids’ advantage is not their last names, their advantage is getting the opportunity to see the work.”

Paul’s son has his exact name and is starting to make one for himself. He’s already earning attention as an eighth-grade hooper on the AAU circuit. Paul often streams his son’s games at his locker after Warriors games using an app called Game Changer, though he laments not seeing him play in person.

“That’s the hardest part for me, is that I can’t,” Paul said.

Camryn, Paul’s daughter, plays a little bit of everything. He never forced a basketball into either of his children’s hands. This summer, he’ll get to see both of them in action.

“It’s been the coolest thing, watching them grow up,” Paul said. “That credit, actually, goes to my wife (Jada). She’s been there, taking them to school. The school work, the grades, the parties classmates will have, the play dates. This and that. Little Chris is playing AAU basketball now, so my wife is coordinating going to the tournaments and stuff.”

Chris Paul’s 8th grade son Chris Jr. was in his bag today 🎒 @CP3 @NikeEYB pic.twitter.com/oOgygN1T1H — Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms) April 7, 2024

A week after that practice in Westwood, Paul’s son was in San Francisco for a school field trip. The point guard left picture day at Chase Center a bit early to meet his son and his classmates for a walk across the Golden Gate Bridge.

“I’m forever grateful to the organization and whatnot and how much they allowed me to get back and see my family as much,” Paul said.

The next night, Paul II and his pals were in attendance as his dad dished a season-high 14 assists in a turnover-free vintage performance. Camryn and Chris don’t have to find old highlights on YouTube or TikTok to see their dad play; he can still hoop .

Where he’ll hoop next is the open question.

Despite enjoying his time with Golden State, another team change is likely on the horizon for Paul. Even his coach admitted that the fit on the court wasn’t perfect. Lineups with Paul and Curry in the backcourt are too small. The Warriors need to get more athletic, bigger and better defensively — nothing Paul at 39 can provide.

Paul’s family will remain in Los Angeles, which became their home base after Paul’s kids switched schools five times in five years. “I wanted them to have some type of stability,” Paul said.

The Lakers and Clippers would be obvious fits as options close to home. But each team could look a lot different based on how their playoff runs pan out, and they both have an abundance of on-ball playmakers. The Spurs and Victor Wembanyama need a point guard. So might Phoenix, where he made his lone Finals run three years ago.

He has experience as the lead guard for a team, coming off the bench for 25 impact minutes, and mentoring young players.

“Any situation I go into, I’m all in,” Paul said.

Paul also might not have complete autonomy. The Warriors could pick up his non-guaranteed $30 million team option and trade him away.

Things can move quickly after July 1, when the offseason begins. Paul, who has been traded six times, knows it. Until then, he’ll focus on his favorite job.

“For my kids, I’ve always tried to keep some sense of normalcy, and that’s with family,” Paul said. “That’s the one thing that’s been a constant, and it’ll always be a constant: our family.”

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Why the NBA killed the Chris Paul trade to Lakers and preferred the Clippers

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By the afternoon of Dec. 8, 2011, the NBA was just emerging from a 161-day lockout , with months of negotiations between team owners and players producing a ratified, 10-year collective bargaining agreement.

In hindsight, it wasn’t even the most contentious deal discussed that day.

Acting in its role as the interim owner of the New Orleans Hornets, the NBA that night did not allow a three-team trade the Hornets had constructed that would have sent Chris Paul, the seventh-year All-Star already considered one of the game’s greatest point guards, to a Lakers franchise that had won two of the previous three titles. The vetoed trade set off a six-day span that changed the trajectories of the Lakers and the Clippers — one L.A. team that believed it had acquired Paul, and the other that ultimately landed him .

Ten years later, the moment remains a controversial, intertwined chapter in the histories of both L.A. franchises and the league — one not everyone cares to revisit.

Then-New Orleans general manager Dell Demps, former Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro and Paul, through the Phoenix Suns, declined to be interviewed. More than a dozen people interviewed who lived through those fraught six days remember it as former Hornets guard Jarrett Jack.

“It was,” he said, “a roller coaster.”

Part One, A Done Deal Undone: “The press release was completely ready to go”

In 2010, as Paul was believed to be looking for a way out of New Orleans, then-Lakers coach Phil Jackson questioned how the NBA would handle a trade for Paul in its authority as the team’s de facto owner. “Somebody’s going to have to make a very non-judgmental decision on that part that’s not going to irritate anybody else in this league,” Jackson said . “I don’t know how they’re going to do that.”

That moment of truth arrived as the lockout ended, when Paul signaled that he would not re-sign with New Orleans as a free agent following the 2011-12 season. Not wanting to lose Paul without something in return, the Hornets began searching for trade options.

Jarrett Jack, Hornets guard 2010-12 : “Me and Chris go back probably to like 12 years old. … So when I got traded [to New Orleans], I was looking for a place and Chris is like, ‘Nah, man just come stay at my house.’ So I stayed there while I’m doing this scavenger hunt and trying to find a place and then in the midst of all that the trade happened. So now, I’m actually sitting with him while this was going on.

“His wife is taping up boxes. He’s kind of like, packing up everything before my very eyes. Mind you, I’m looking at the TV. And it’s like breaking news, breaking news, Chris Paul to the Lakers.”

The deal on the television read that Paul would become a Laker, forming a star-laden backcourt with Kobe Bryant. The Rockets would receive Lakers forward Pau Gasol. The Hornets would get veteran forwards Lamar Odom and Luis Scola, young guards Kevin Martin and Goran Dragic and a 2012 first-round draft pick.

Odom, who won sixth man of the year with the Lakers the previous season, was especially stung.

Odom: “Even though I know the business and I understand the business of the league, I thought that because I had that strong year and accepted my role as a sixth man, I did think that they would never trade me.

“No disrespect to [New Orleans] or the organization but I never wanted to go down there. It’s just something I didn’t want to be part of.”

Stu Jackson, then-NBA executive vice president of basketball operations: “As part of our role as owners, interim owners, the objective was to both attract a potential buyer for the franchise, and then ultimately sell the franchise to someone. But before that actually happened, the team obviously was up and running, they had a general manager and they continued to work and conduct business as they normally would.

“We were both the owners of a franchise but we also had the dual role of approving all trades. So it was a bit of a conundrum.”

Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, in a December 2011 email to David Stern: “I just don’t see how we can allow this trade to happen. I know the vast majority of owners feel the same way that I do. When will we just change the name of 25 of the 30 teams to the Washington Generals?”

Jackson: [Stern] “ran things by me, as an ex-general manager at the time. I explained to David the following … I felt that the package of Odom, Martin, Scola, Dragic was going to vault the New Orleans Hornets to a position where they’d make the playoffs but they were going to be a playoff team that was not capable of winning a championship.

“In other words, I thought so much of Monty Williams, I thought he would coach them up and get in the playoffs, not have home-court advantage and fans would be happy, obviously, but they would be caught in mediocrity and a mediocre team is not necessarily attractive to a potential owner. They want lesser payroll, they want to put their stamp on the team and build it and by making this trade, to me it made the franchise unattractive, or less attractive, to a potential owner. And to my surprise after another day David kind of got his head wrapped around it and he agreed. He made the decision to veto the trade and not approve.”

Paul, on the Knuckleheads podcast in 2020: “I was on the phone with my brother and my agent and all that. We figuring out a plane to get to New Orleans to get us to L.A. My agent clicked over, said ‘Hold on,’ clicked over and then he came back on and he was like, stuttering. And we was hot. We was hot. Me and Kobe had talked, you know what I’m saying?”

Jack about Paul: “He sits down and then he puts the phone on speakerphone. I can hear the conversation just because it’s on speakerphone, but I’m not like paying attention to it. But I hear somebody say ‘Yeah, we’re sorry to tell you this, but yeah we expect Chris at practice. And this is what’s going to happen until something else changes but we’ll see you tomorrow for practice.’

“And I can tell that the person on the phone, the voice was distinct, it was our GM. And the other voice on the phone I believe was the late David Stern. So then CP hangs the phone up. He’s like, ‘Yo, did you hear that?’ I’m like what’s going on? He’s like, ‘They just rescinded it.’”

Jackson: [Vetoed trades] “happen fairly often but usually it’s due to a technicality in the trade. Something’s off, the money’s off, the cap number’s off, medical records have passed or there’s been some impropriety in terms of disclosure, right, and they’ll veto the trade; it happens. But in this case, it’s a perfectly good three-way trade. But because the league was the owner of the Hornets, it just begged a lot of questions and wonderment why and how the league can be in a position and do that. I think people viewed it as a conflict.”

Mitch Kupchak, then-Lakers general manager, in 2011: “We did the best we can to express our displeasure.”

Stern to Sports Illustrated in 2018: “There was a trade that Dell Demps wanted us to approve and I said ‘Heck no,’ but he had told [then-Rockets general manager] Daryl Morey and Mitch Kupchak he had authority to do it and he didn’t. I said no. We just settled a lockout and you want me to approve a basketball trade?

“… He had agreed to Kevin Martin and Luis Scola or something, and I said we can do better than that.”

Jackson: “David made some comment that the reason he vetoed the trade was because it wasn’t an attractive enough package for a player of Chris Paul’s caliber. That was only a half-truth. The other part was that he also felt that he wanted the Hornets to be an attractive property to a prospective owner.”

John Black, former Lakers vice president of public relations: “I don’t remember another example of a trade press release being written, ever, until [trades] were done. This was done. I was told this was a done deal. The press release was completely ready to go. Luckily we didn’t send it.”

In Los Angeles, the Lakers scrambled for a follow-up plan: attempt to revive a deal for Paul, or move on? For players who learned they were on the verge of being traded, the damage was done. Odom said he considers himself a “Laker for life,” but in 2011, he struggled to manage his emotions as training camps opened. The Lakers traded him to Dallas on Dec. 11, effectively breaking up the pieces needed to acquire Paul and exiting the point guard’s sweepstakes. Odom retired two years later.

Odom: “I was just maybe a little hurt and disappointed. I thought I would retire, honestly.

“One of my closest cousins was just killed in the Bronx and at that point in my life I just felt like, everything that was happening in my life I couldn’t help, along with his death. It was just probably a little bit mentally too much for me to recover.”

Willie Green, New Orleans guard in 2010-11 and friend of Paul: “It was an awkward moment for all the folks in New Orleans because Chris was still coming to practice while that was happening but they wouldn’t let him practice with the team. He just was in there, shooting. I was talking to a couple people about it and they said they had never seen anything like this before where a guy got traded, it got publicized and then it’s nixed and you’re still with the team. It was weird.”

Part Two, The New Suitor: “I thought it was all gonna fall apart”

With the Lakers out the Clippers swooped in, following information relayed months earlier to the team’s front office — that Paul, while playing offseason pickup games in Los Angeles alongside some Clippers, had made it known he wanted to play there. On Dec. 11, the Times’ Broderick Turner reported the framework of a deal: center Chris Kaman, backup guard Eric Bledsoe, forward Al-Farouq Aminu and an unprotected 2012 draft pick. Eric Gordon no longer was part of the proposed package despite New Orleans’ interest in the guard.

Bledsoe: “A couple players knew they was getting traded, like Chris Kaman, he kind of knew.”

Person with knowledge of the Clippers’ front-office thinking at the time: “I just had the feeling that the sticking point was Eric Bledsoe. … I thought it was gonna fall apart.”

The next day, then-Clippers general manager Neil Olshey told reporters the deal was off, because “the cost was just way too high.” With the lockout-delayed season about to begin, Clippers players and coaches joined fans aboard a bus caravan on Dec. 14 to drum up interest around Los Angeles.

Jesse Beer, Clippers season-ticket holder for more than 30 years: “Eric [Gordon] was in the way back and I was across the aisle from Vinny Del Negro and a couple of the assistants. And I don’t think Twitter was huge 10 years ago, but it was relevant and a buddy of mine, Bill Simmons, was tweeting. He tweeted out , ‘There’s a buzz in the air that the Chris Paul trade is happening.’ And I showed that to [Ricky Chu, another season ticket-holder on the bus] and a couple other things came down after that, and I was freaking out. We both were.”

Bledsoe: “I just remember we were doing appearances. That’s when Twitter was big and I was getting a whole bunch of tweets about ‘Congratulations, you’re going to New Orleans’ and stuff. … I didn’t know how to feel, it was my first time being in that type of situation.”

Beer: “I looked at [Del Negro] and he just told me to be quiet. Because they hadn’t even told Eric. He wasn’t aware of anything. So we sort of got it before he got it. And I believe within three minutes [Gordon] answered his cell phone and he’s just sitting there and he looked, I don’t know, upset, frustrated, confused.”

The Clippers-Hornets trade was approved by the league and became official the following day: Paul to Los Angeles in exchange for Gordon, Kaman, Aminu and the first-round pick that later became Austin Rivers.

Jackson: “The attractiveness [of the Clippers’ offer] was it wasn’t as good a package that was originally agreed to, but they did get a first-round pick. … The [three-team] package they were going to get was too good. At the time, Kevin Martin was a really good player. Goran Dragic was a very promising player. Lamar Odom was a championship-level player and Luis Scola is a 15-to-20-year veteran in the NBA who was very productive at that point in his career. They were going to be good. And Monty Williams was the coach. So they were going to be good. Just not good enough.

“Given the NBA collective bargaining agreement, that is not a place you wanted to be at that time because as you may recall, being a mediocre team in the NBA under that collective bargaining agreement just meant you were resigned to mediocrity, purgatory.”

Green: [Paul] “was thrilled more than anything that it was behind him and he was in a good place, a place that he wanted to play and a good space mentally to continue his career. But he agreed, I agreed, it was a tough situation to go through.”

Jack: “I remember being relieved. You know, just relief for everybody involved.”

Person with knowledge of the Clippers’ front-office thinking: “ I do remember feeling a sense of real euphoria, knowing just how good I felt Chris Paul was. We needed a guy like that who could come in and just bring that leadership and basketball IQ to the organization which, quite frankly, we never had at that level before. I mean, he’ll go down as one of, if not the greatest Clipper of all time, I believe.”

Part Three, Fallout: “It wasn’t fair to David”

Paul spent six seasons with the Clippers and amassed the most win-shares and assists in franchise history to go with five all-NBA selections and six all-defensive team honors. The Clippers own a 63.3% winning percentage in the 10-plus seasons since Paul joined them, the NBA’s third highest behind only Golden State and San Antonio. However, the Clippers never advanced beyond the postseason’s second round in his time with the franchise.

Paul George, Clippers forward, who grew up in Palmdale rooting for the franchise: “ It was a moment where you felt some hope with the Clippers, with [Blake Griffin], [DeAndre Jordan], CP and then that was a good trio and then they slowly started adding weapons around them like Jamal [Crawford], [J.J.] Redick came, Paul Pierce came, Bled was here. It was like, damn, Clippers is like a force right now.”

Person with knowledge of the Clippers’ front-office thinking: “I don’t know if it would have turned the Lakers into a championship team, but that was the turning point in the Clippers’ history, I believe.”

Bledsoe: “It was a lot of energy around the building. When you got him it was like, now you got expectations. You’re heading in the right direction.”

Without Paul, the Lakers still needed a point guard. They acquired one the next summer in former most valuable player Steve Nash in a highly anticipated pairing with center Dwight Howard — another All-Star the Lakers pursued in December 2011 to no avail. Injuries limited Nash and Bryant to playing only 42 games together. The Lakers’ 44.1% winning percentage since 2011 ranks 21st in the NBA, yet the franchise won the 2020 championship behind LeBron James and a former star in New Orleans who had his eyes on L.A. eight years after Paul — Anthony Davis.

Jack: “ To now go back and think like first of all the potential of what Kobe and Chris could have created, goodness — goodness gracious. That’s just enough to wonder on your own, like two stars of that magnitude crossing paths, what would that look like? Who knows?”

Stern in 2018 on nixing the Lakers trade: “I did it because I was protecting the then-Hornets. … To this day everyone always asks me, ‘Well why did you keep Chris Paul from going to the Lakers?’ I didn’t keep him. I didn’t approve the trade. No team sells or trades a future Hall of Famer without the owner signing off, and I was the owner’s rep.”

Jeanie Buss, Lakers president and governor: “I feel like our fans felt like, ‘The league just wants to punish the Lakers.’ Like, ‘The league is working against the Lakers from being successful.’ And that wasn’t the case at all. And it wasn’t David acting as commissioner. It was David acting as a person protecting the Hornets.

“What I want the fans to know, to come away with, is the league doesn’t try to keep us down. That was never David Stern’s intention in that and it wasn’t fair that David was booed when he came to L.A. after that. He didn’t deserve that. David was the greatest commissioner of all time for what he built and what he stood for in this league. I miss him every day.”

Stern died in January 2020. Paul, now 36, played in his first NBA Finals last season with Phoenix, where he was reunited with Williams, the Suns coach, and Jack, now an assistant. Green is in his first year coaching the New Orleans Pelicans. The NBA reached an agreement to sell the franchise to New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson in April 2012 — four months after Paul was traded.

Jackson: “If we had continued to own the Hornets, situations like this and others would have come up so I think we were happy not to be in the ownership game. Not think — I know we were. And this deal had a lot to do with it.”

Paul to the Knuckleheads podcast: “I always say I played for the Lakers for a little bit. Like, for a couple of hours.”

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Andrew Greif is the former Clippers beat writer for the Los Angeles Times. He joined The Times after covering college football and sports enterprise at the Oregonian. A University of Oregon graduate, he grew up on the Oregon coast.

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Why Chris Paul never doubted he would appear in NBA Finals, despite experiencing so much playoff heartbreak

LOS ANGELES — As the clock ticked closer to zero, finally Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul could exhale.

Normally, this marked the time that Paul experienced yet another playoff heartbreak. But shortly before the Suns officially eliminated the Los Angeles Clippers with a 130-103 win in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals on Wednesday at Staples Center, Paul was on the verge of advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time in his 16-year NBA career.

“That’s the only thing I was thinking about – the process and getting us one step closer to where we need to be,” Paul said.

So then Paul thanked those that witnessed his journey along the way. Paul waved to his hometown family and friends that attended Game 6 from Winston Salem, N.C. Paul hugged Suns coach Monty Williams, who had also coached him during his final season with the former New Orleans Hornets (2010-11).

Paul hugged his father and brother, both of whom have never missed any of his basketball games. And Paul waved to actor Billy Crystal and thousands of other Clippers fans, who both booed and cheered him after experiencing playoff heartbreak there for seven seasons (2011-2017) and asking for a trade to Houston that also followed with more injuries and playoff shortcomings. 

During those moments, did Paul ever doubt he would experience the elation he felt after leading the Suns to the NBA Finals with 41 points and eight assists?

“Nope,” Paul said. “I ain’t built like that. Just get to work.”

So in his third game since being sidelined for eight days after testing positive for COVID-19, Paul did just that. Paul led the Suns to their first Finals appearance since 1993 by tying his playoff career-high. He closed out the first half by scoring 10 unanswered points. He opened the third quarter by scoring eight unanswered points. During those times, Suns teammate Jae Crowder repeatedly asked Paul a pointed question.

“Can you taste it?” Crowder asked. “Can you feel it.”

Paul glared and sternly said “no” repeatedly for a simple reason. As Paul summed up, “I’ve been on the end of so many losses. I know what it feels like.”

Yes, he does.  

Paul committed two late turnovers that contributed to the Thunder overcoming a 15-point deficit in Game 5 of the 2014 conference semifinals, the same year the Clippers survived a seven-game first-round series over Golden State while handling the fallout over former owner Donald Sterling making racist statements on an audio tape. Though he played through an injured hamstring before making a game-winning shot in Game 7 of the Clippers’ first-round series against San Antonio in 2015, Paul missed two games the following series before the Clippers squandered a 3-1 series lead to Houston.

In 2016, the Clippers lost in the first round to Portland in six games after Paul (fractured right hand) and Blake Griffin (left quad) suffered injuries in Game 4. Paul stayed healthy in 2017, but the Clippers lost to Utah in the first round amid Griffin suffering a right toe injury in Game 3. Shortly afterwards, Paul agreed for the Clippers to deal him to Houston in a sign-and-trade in hopes of winning an NBA title with James Harden. But Paul’s health and the Warriors’ dominance torpedoed those plans. Paul missed Games 6 and 7 of the 2018 Western Conference finals after straining his right hamstring in Game 5. The following season, Paul missed 17 games with a strained left hamstring and looked limited in the playoffs before the Warriors beat the Rockets in the second round. The Rockets then dealt him to Oklahoma City for Russell Westbrook.

“That burned him,” Williams said of Paul’s playoff shortcomings. “If you can learn anything from Chris Paul, it’s to keep going. Don’t quit. Serve others.”

So, Paul remained intent on overcoming his own recent adversities.

Shortly after the Suns swept the Denver Nuggets in the second round, Paul learned that he tested positive for the coronavirus despite already having the COVID-19 vaccine. Though he became encouraged with the Suns winning the first two games against the Clippers without him, Paul then struggled in his return. In Games 3 through 5, he shot a combined 19-of-60 from the field and 2-of-16 from 3-point range. He then had an MRI on his right wrist that revealed torn ligaments.

Paul played in Game 6 anyway and then looked more like his normal self. He shot 12-of-18 from the field and 4-of-5 from deep. In the second half, Paul dropped 28 points. During that run, Williams marveled that Paul gave him a look to suggest, “Coach, I got this.”

During that time, Paul kept thinking about how the Rockets’ equipment staff had kept a Western Conference championship t-Shirt and hat that he never could wear. The Suns' equipment staff received their gear earlier this week, reminding himself of how close he was toward finally wearing the gear.

“I was going to stay locked in,” Paul said. “If we do what we’re supposed to do, I’ll get the last laugh.”

Paul certainly did. He exacted revenge on his former team. He frustrated Clippers center DeMarcus Cousins so much on a foul that Cousins received a technical. He frustrated Clippers guard Patrick Beverley so much that Beverley wound up shoving him before getting ejected for it . And he added something to his eventual Hall of Fame resume that includes a high standing on the NBA’s all-time assists list (currently fifth with 10,275).

“Chris Paul is stamped regardless,” Booker said. “Anything else from here is extra just to solidify it.”

“I know he wants it bad. I know he’s happy about this for his first time,” Booker said as he pointed at the NBA’s Western Conference championship trophy. “But I know what he’s in pursuit of, and we have that same understanding. We don’t talk about it much. But we know what we’re trying to get to. But as far as he needs a ring to be considered, he’s one of the best point guards ever to play this game. That’s a fact. Everybody knows he’s arguably the best.”

Still, Paul insists this moment was not about him. One, he still has an NBA championship to win. But he also expressed gratitude for those around him.

He gushed about Williams and his young Suns teammates, including Booker. He thanked Thunder GM Sam Presti for facilitating a trade last year to Phoenix after guiding them to a seven-game playoff series against Houston. He thanked the Clippers that included people he considered “family,” including trainer Jason Powell, assistant coach Chauncey Billups and public relations manager Dennis Rogers. So when Suns assistant coach and former Clippers teammate Willie Green asked Paul about his Clippers journey, Paul insisted he would have played out his career the same way so he could experience this moment.

“I learned a lot of stuff along the way,” Paul said. “This is a storybook for this part to get somewhere I never have been before against a team I’ve always been connected to.”

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Chris Paul Found Out About the Suns’ Trade From His Son

Paul, a 12-time All-Star, was on a promotional tour for a book he wrote about his grandfather and his N.B.A. career.

Credit... Amir Hamja/The New York Times

Supported by

By Sopan Deb

• Published June 19, 2023 Updated June 20, 2023

Chris Paul was on a plane to New York on Sunday, to promote his new book, when he heard the news in a text from his 14-year-old son, Chris II: He had been traded.

Paul, a 12-time All-Star, is one of the most accomplished point guards in N.B.A. history. He had recently finished his third season with the Phoenix Suns, a run that included a trip to the N.B.A. finals in 2021. There seemed to be greener pastures ahead after the Suns acquired Kevin Durant in February.

But the Suns preliminarily agreed on Sunday to a trade with the Washington Wizards for guard Bradley Beal, a three-time All-Star who will turn 30 next week. Paul, 38, was included in the deal. At the moment, it is unclear where Paul will play next season.

In an interview with The New York Times, Paul repeatedly said that Mat Ishbia, who recently acquired the team, and Isiah Thomas, the Hall of Fame point guard who is close with Ishbia, “wanted to go in a different direction.” In February, Ishbia told reporters that Thomas did not have a role with the team . Representatives for the Suns and Thomas did not respond to a request for comment.

Paul talked with The Times as part of a promotional tour for his book, “Sixty-One: Life Lessons From Papa, On and Off the Court.” The book, due out Tuesday, is a tribute to his grandfather Nathaniel Jones. Jones was murdered in 2002, a day after Paul signed a letter of intent to attend Wake Forest University.

Paul describes Jones as a seminal figure in his life and one of his closest confidants. Jones operated what is thought to be the first Black-owned service station in the Winston-Salem area in North Carolina.

Paul co-wrote the book during the height of the pandemic with the ESPN host Michael Wilbon, weaving in tales of his grandfather and his own journey — including his experiences as a Black athlete in the wake of the death of George Floyd.

The interview, which has been edited for length and clarity, took place Monday at the New York offices of the public relations firm Rubenstein. In it, Paul discussed the trade from Phoenix, his grandfather and what his plans are after his N.B.A. career is over.

You’re on the plane last night. The team that you helped get to within two games of a championship said that it intended to trade you, and your feeling is what?

It’s just — it’s tough. Seriously, it is part of the business, and what you realize is that no one owes you anything. No matter how you are with them or what you do, you realize that in this business, nobody owes you anything, as it should be.

But when it comes through and my son texts me, I realize that, you know, Mat and Isiah, I guess, just wanted to go in a different direction.

So you found out because your son texted you on the plane? It wasn’t your agent texting you, or Mat Ishbia. What is running through your head when you get the text?

I showed my phone to my wife. Because, I mean, I had talked to James Jones yesterday or whatnot. [Jones is the Suns’ president of basketball operations and general manager.]

And did James Jones give an indication that this was on the table? How surprised were you by that text from your son?

[Paul paused.]

I was surprised.

I can see it in your face that you’re trying not to talk too much trash right now.

No, because, I mean, like I say, it is what it is. But like I said, Mat and Isiah must have wanted to go different.

In your ideal scenario, what happens next?

I don’t know. I really haven’t had enough time to process it yet. Like seriously, because these things that happen affect more than just me.

You said recently in another interview that you wanted to remain in Phoenix. What are your feelings toward the organization at the moment?

Like I said, Mat and Isiah, they want to go in a different direction. But my time there has been amazing. You know what I mean? It’s been great. And so, get back to work.

You could have written a book about anything. You chose to write about your grandfather. Why was that?

That was a huge point in my life. And being 38 years old now, I would have never imagined I would have had the opportunity to do the things that I’ve done. I was reflecting and realized how many things are the way they are because of my relationship with my grandfather.

How do you reflect differently on his death now at 38 than you did when you were a teenager?

In doing this book, there were conversations that I hadn’t thought about or talked about in 20 years.

How painful was it for you and your family to revisit the murder?

I actually got a few videos in my phone of some recordings. [Paul was referring to recording the audiobook.] And when I was doing it, there were a few times where I broke down and I couldn’t get through it.

What’s a time in the last 20 years of your life that you wish you had your grandfather’s guidance?

Maybe when I was in college, the Julius Hodge situation. I got suspended for a game . [In 2005, Paul appeared to deliberately throw a punch below the waist of North Carolina State’s Julius Hodge in the teams’ final game of the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season.]

What do you think he would’ve said?

I don’t know. I don’t think he would have necessarily been crazy. Well, it’s crazy because that whole situation happened because it was kids chanting, “I killed your grandfather.” So had he been here, they wouldn’t have been able to say that.

One of the interesting stories I read in the book was after George Floyd’s death you talk about getting pulled over in Los Angeles. Can you describe the unease you felt?

I was on the 405, it was during construction, so it was crazy. When I pulled over, I pulled over to the left. I think I was supposed to pull over to the right, but I think it was the nervousness and anxiety. And so I pulled it over. I don’t care what anybody says — especially at the height of everything going on, at the time, I was just a little nervous.

You’re a wealthy, famous, successful athlete, and you’re getting pulled over by cops, and you’re worried. What does that tell you about our country right now?

It tells you a lot.

When I’m playing in a game and I’m in an arena, all those fans are in there screaming. As soon as I leave the game, I don’t leave the game in my uniform. I could leave the game in a hoodie with a hat on. So I’m regular. I’m just like anybody else. That’s another thing, too. All people don’t know who athletes are and all this stuff. I’m not thinking for one minute that I should get some type of pass because I’m an athlete.

How much thought have you given to how many years you have left in the N.B.A.?

I ask a lot of questions of friends, of people that have retired, people that are in other businesses that are working. And one of the biggest things that I’ve heard just years ago is that as soon as you start thinking about when it’s over, then it’s over.

And you’re not feeling that.

What does post-playing-career Chris Paul look like?

I’d love to be a governor someday.

A team owner.

Exactly. Because I just know every nuance of the league from all the years as president of the union. And I have relationships where I’ve been able to learn from these guys.

An earlier version of this article misstated the timing of a college basketball game in 2005 in which Chris Paul, playing for Wake Forest, punched North Carolina State’s Julius Hodge. It happened in the teams’ final game of the regular season, not in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.

How we handle corrections

Sopan Deb is a basketball writer and a contributor to the Culture section. Before joining The Times, he covered Donald J. Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign for CBS News. More about Sopan Deb

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Chris Paul returning to Warriors on Tuesday vs. Wizards after missing nearly two months with hand injury

Paul will come off the bench in washington for his return.

Chris Paul is finally ready to get back on the court.

Paul, after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured left hand earlier this year , is set to play for the Golden State Warriors in their game against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night, head coach Steve Kerr confirmed.

Paul hasn’t played since he sustained his broken hand on Jan. 5, which led to surgery days later.

“Chris will play all of the non-Steph minutes, and he’ll be out there with Steph as well,” Kerr said on Sunday night after their loss to the Denver Nuggets . “It’s easier for us to put Steph off the ball and take some of the wear and tear off of him when Chris is out there.”

"Chris, when he comes back, will play all of the non-Steph minutes." Kerr outlines the plan for CP3 upon returning 👀 pic.twitter.com/IkTbrrYu1a — Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) February 26, 2024

Paul went down in the Warriors’ win over the Pistons in January after he awkwardly collided into Detroit guard Jaden Ivey . Paul was trying to grab a rebound, but immediately grabbed at his hand and doubled over as the play went the other way. He eventually left the court and walked to the locker room.

Chris Paul went to the locker room after appearing to injure his hand on this play pic.twitter.com/phKrunsV9s — Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) January 6, 2024

Paul underwent surgery days later, which marked the fifth hand surgery of his career.

Paul has played in 32 games this season for Golden State, his first with the franchise after he spent the last three seasons with the Phoenix Suns . The 19-year veteran has averaged 8.9 points and 7.2 assists mostly off the bench this season. He’ll continue to do so the rest of the way alongside Klay Thompson , who has transitioned into a bench role lately.

“I expect Chris to be himself," Thompson said. "That's just one of the greatest playmakers, a testy defender and [he can] just kind of right the ship when Steph needs a break. It's very exciting. I'm excited to step on the floor with him and lead that second unit. You can’t really ask for a better backcourt to come off the bench with."

"Can't really ask for a better backcourt to come off the bench with." Klay is excited to run the second unit with CP 😁 pic.twitter.com/SceOLWOQ8m — Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) February 26, 2024

The Warriors enter Tuesday’s game in Washington with a 29-27 record, which has them in 10th in the Western Conference standings. They have won two of three games coming out of the All-Star break and are kicking off a four-game East Coast road trip on Tuesday night.

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Chris Paul's 2 Kids: All About Chris Jr. and Cameryn

Chris Paul has two children with his wife Jada Paul

Adam England is a contributing writer at PEOPLE. He has been working at PEOPLE since 2022. His work has previously appeared in The Guardian, Euronews, Vice UK and Dazed.

NBA player Chris Paul is the proud father of two.

He shares son Chris Jr., 14, and daughter Camryn, 11, with his wife Jada Paul .

In 2022, Chris shared how his father, Charles, inspired his own parenting philosophy . "The only person's approval that I still really, really care about to this day is my dad," he said, adding that Charles taught him to give his children "the most amount of love that you could show."

The point guard was inspired by his father to write his second children's book in 2022, Basketball Dreams , later posting photos of him reading it with his son. "Papa Chilly inspired me at an early age with lessons I've carried all my life," he wrote. "And now, I want to pass those on. This one's for all the kids who have dreams and people who inspire them how to get there."

In 2017, Chris and his kids modeled for Bloomingdale's for Father's Day, and he spoke about his love for big family meals. He also shared the advice he would have given himself as a new father: "Enjoy the little moments and take more pictures. We take tons of pictures anytime we have a family event."

Here's everything to know about Chris Paul's kids, Chris Jr. and Camryn.

Christopher Emmanuel Paul II, 14

Chris and Jada's older child, Christopher Emmanuel Paul II, was born on May 25, 2009.

As a kid, Chris Jr. often joined his father during press conferences. In a 2012 clip from the NBA , Chris asked his son, who is sitting on his lap, to imitate his Los Angeles Clippers teammate Blake Griffin with "The Blake Face." The then-2-year-old Chris Jr. happily emulated Griffin's intense midgame expression.

Now a teenager, Chris Jr. is following in his father's footsteps. In 2020, Chris told PEOPLE that he was making the most of the family's time at home by helping Chris Jr. hone his skills on the basketball court. "My son loves the game. He loves it," he said. "Another thing that this quarantine has given me the ability to do is, I've never had an opportunity to train him myself."

Ever the athlete, Chris Jr. also likes soccer. "The thing that you learn as a parent is that you're going to love whatever makes your kids happy," the Phoenix Suns player told ThePostGame in 2018. That support included "getting up early in the morning" to watch the World Cup with his son: "I've actually grown to love it a lot more and learned everything about it."

In 2022, Chris Jr. celebrated his 13th birthday with a sneaker-themed party. His father shared photos of the occasion, showing the teenager playing basketball and celebrating with friends. Chris Jr. has also met a number of famous faces: In 2021, he posted a photo with Drake . One year prior, he posted a photo with Kiyan Anthony , son of NBA player Carmelo Anthony .

Camryn Alexis Paul, 11

Chris and Jada's daughter Camryn Alexis Paul was born on Aug. 16, 2012.

In 2020, when the Paul family was social distancing, Chris told PEOPLE that Camryn would get " really antsy " during activities like Zoom calls. Both parents helped her adjust to virtual school and the extended time at home: Chris set up workout circuits for her, while Jada would "have her go outside and run a lap" to burn off some energy.

For Camryn's 10th birthday, Chris posted an Instagram tribute with several photos of the father-daughter pair. "I love the beautiful Black young lady you are and even more the one you are becoming!!" he wrote. "Daddy loves you forever!! Double digits!!! Can't believe it…Happy Birthday baby girl."

Two years earlier, Camryn celebrated her 8th birthday with a movie night sleepover with friends — including Zhuri Nova, daughter of LeBron James . Jada shared photos from the party, writing that her daughter was "beautiful, creative, artistic" and the "most sweetest little lady."

According to her Instagram account, which is monitored by her mom and dad, Camryn has many talents. She has taken art classes , gone fishing and played golf . In 2018, Chris told ThePostGame that she had tried her hand at soccer and baseball, too.

In February 2022, Camryn joined her father at the 71st NBA All-Star Game, where Vanessa Bryant presented Chris with the inaugural Kobe and Gigi Bryant Advocacy Award for his support of women's basketball and the WNBA. Camryn stood next to her father on the court as he accepted the award, and Chris later wrote that he was particularly proud because his daughter had "recently started hooping" herself.

The following month, Chris told PEOPLE about Camryn's pursuit of the game. "During the playoffs last year, she called me ... and she was trying to teach herself to dribble between her legs," he said. "And she's so persistent — I was sort of sitting there coaching her, telling her what to do. Three hours later, she sent me a video, and she could do it!"

The proud dad added that his passion for gender equality was fueled by his wife and daughter. "Women are strong enough themselves to do any and everything," he said, adding that he hoped that WNBA players would "continue to voice what changes they like to their game."

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Paul Merson and Chris Sutton agree on Fulham vs Liverpool prediction as title race impacted

L iverpool faces a crucial trip to Fulham on Sunday as it bids to keep its Premier League title hopes alive. The Red sit third in the table, two points adrift of Manchester City and three off Arsenal, who beat Wolves on Saturday.

Jürgen Klopp's side exited the Europa League in midweek despite beating Atalanta and lost 1-0 at home to Crystal Palace last weekend at Anfield. The match is the start of three away games in the league with trips to Everton and West Ham to follow later this week.

Yet pundits Chris Sutton and Paul Merson sense a challenging afternoon ahead for Liverpool at Craven Cottage, with the two sides having already faced off three times this season. They played in the Carabao Cup semi-final earlier in the campaign.

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Merson is tipping the match to finish 1-1, saying in his SportsKeeda column: "Fulham has caused teams problems this season and Liverpool is coming on the back of an abysmal week.

"They are struggling a bit in front of goal and look like they have sort of fizzled out in recent weeks. I think they'll drop points once again, effectively ending their title hopes.

" Klopp knows the Premier League title is not in his hands anymore. Luis Díaz and Darwin Núñez have misfired in front of goal. Diogo Jota is a top-class player and could be in with a chance of breaking into the starting XI."

Ex-striker Sutton also expects Liverpool's pursuit of the Premier League crown to hit another snag this weekend at Craven Cottage. In his predictions for BBC Sport , Sutton wrote: "All three games between these teams this season have been close, and I am expecting more of the same on Sunday.

"Liverpool won a thriller 4-3 at Anfield in the league, followed by a 2-1 home win in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final. I was at Craven Cottage for the second leg, which ended up a 1-1 draw. This is a must-win for Jurgen Klopp's side to keep their title hopes alive, because their season has started to unravel."

"What happens there will tell us a lot about where Liverpool are at, but if they show any weaknesses at the weekend, Fulham are good enough to punish them. Liverpool 1-1 Fulham."

Liverpool.com says: At any other time, a draw away at Fulham wouldn't be the worst result in the world. But it is no good for Liverpool right now. Klopp will know that three points is a must at Craven Cottage to keep the pressure on Manchester City and Arsenal. Anything less and the title hopes are as good as over.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Liverpool ECHO by clicking here .

Moscow Metro – Part 2

Have you been to Moscow ? In all seriousness, they have the prettiest metro stations I have ever seen and I still can’t believe how immaculate and lovely every station was. There are several different stations pictured below and this is the second of several posts where I will show you the beauty of the Moscow Metro. Did you see part 1 ?  There really isn’t much to say because I think the pictures speak for themselves. I have so many more pictures to share with you!

Have you ever been to Moscow? Is it someplace you have thought about visiting?

She speaks fluent English, French and Spanish, and works for a major airline. And guess what? She’s also a licensed elementary teacher and has an MBA.

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This is the train STATION?? Oh my god… So gorgeous. Moscow has never even crossed my mind as a possible travel destination but this is gorgeous…Hmmm… LOL

I know, right? We spent several hours in the metro, just marveling at the beauty of each one. Thanks for stopping by!

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Touring the Top 10 Moscow Metro Stations

By Claudia Looi 2 Comments

Komsomolskaya metro station looks like a museum. It has vaulted ceilings and baroque decor.

Hidden underground, in the heart of Moscow, are historical and architectural treasures of Russia. These are Soviet-era creations – the metro stations of Moscow.

Our guide Maria introduced these elaborate metro stations as “the palaces for the people.” Built between 1937 and 1955, each station holds its own history and stories. Stalin had the idea of building beautiful underground spaces that the masses could enjoy. They would look like museums, art centers, concert halls, palaces and churches. Each would have a different theme. None would be alike.

The two-hour private tour was with a former Intourist tour guide named Maria. Maria lived in Moscow all her life and through the communist era of 60s to 90s. She has been a tour guide for more than 30 years. Being in her 60s, she moved rather quickly for her age. We traveled and crammed with Maria and other Muscovites on the metro to visit 10 different metro stations.

Arrow showing the direction of metro line 1 and 2

Moscow subways are very clean

To Maria, every street, metro and building told a story. I couldn’t keep up with her stories. I don’t remember most of what she said because I was just thrilled being in Moscow.   Added to that, she spilled out so many Russian words and names, which to one who can’t read Cyrillic, sounded so foreign and could be easily forgotten.

The metro tour was the first part of our all day tour of Moscow with Maria. Here are the stations we visited:

1. Komsomolskaya Metro Station  is the most beautiful of them all. Painted yellow and decorated with chandeliers, gold leaves and semi precious stones, the station looks like a stately museum. And possibly decorated like a palace. I saw Komsomolskaya first, before the rest of the stations upon arrival in Moscow by train from St. Petersburg.

2. Revolution Square Metro Station (Ploshchad Revolyutsii) has marble arches and 72 bronze sculptures designed by Alexey Dushkin. The marble arches are flanked by the bronze sculptures. If you look closely you will see passersby touching the bronze dog's nose. Legend has it that good luck comes to those who touch the dog's nose.

Touch the dog's nose for good luck. At the Revolution Square station

Revolution Square Metro Station

3. Arbatskaya Metro Station served as a shelter during the Soviet-era. It is one of the largest and the deepest metro stations in Moscow.

Arbatskaya Metro Station

4. Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station was built in 1935 and named after the Russian State Library. It is located near the library and has a big mosaic portrait of Lenin and yellow ceramic tiles on the track walls.

Lenin's portrait at the Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station

5. Kievskaya Metro Station was one of the first to be completed in Moscow. Named after the capital city of Ukraine by Kiev-born, Nikita Khruschev, Stalin's successor.

Kievskaya Metro Station

6. Novoslobodskaya Metro Station  was built in 1952. It has 32 stained glass murals with brass borders.

Novoslobodskaya metro station

7. Kurskaya Metro Station was one of the first few to be built in Moscow in 1938. It has ceiling panels and artwork showing Soviet leadership, Soviet lifestyle and political power. It has a dome with patriotic slogans decorated with red stars representing the Soviet's World War II Hall of Fame. Kurskaya Metro Station is a must-visit station in Moscow.

Ceiling panel and artworks at Kurskaya Metro Station

8. Mayakovskaya Metro Station built in 1938. It was named after Russian poet Vladmir Mayakovsky. This is one of the most beautiful metro stations in the world with 34 mosaics painted by Alexander Deyneka.

Mayakovskaya station

One of the over 30 ceiling mosaics in Mayakovskaya metro station

9. Belorusskaya Metro Station is named after the people of Belarus. In the picture below, there are statues of 3 members of the Partisan Resistance in Belarus during World War II. The statues were sculpted by Sergei Orlov, S. Rabinovich and I. Slonim.

10. Teatralnaya Metro Station (Theatre Metro Station) is located near the Bolshoi Theatre.

Teatralnaya Metro Station decorated with porcelain figures .

Taking the metro's escalator at the end of the tour with Maria the tour guide.

Have you visited the Moscow Metro? Leave your comment below.

January 15, 2017 at 8:17 am

An excellent read! Thanks for much for sharing the Russian metro system with us. We're heading to Moscow in April and exploring the metro stations were on our list and after reading your post, I'm even more excited to go visit them. Thanks again 🙂

December 6, 2017 at 10:45 pm

Hi, do you remember which tour company you contacted for this tour?

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LAKE BAIKAL TOURS Hiking and trekking around the world's deepest lake in the heart of Siberia

RUSSIAN DIGS Come and work in the field on a Russian Archaeological dig. Full training given on site.

TRAVEL TIPS & SERVICES Getting around in Russia

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