In his first formal interview as a member of the Spurs, veteran NBA point guard Chris Paul got real on the opportunity to play with star rookie Victor Wembanyama. In his chat with the media, Paul explained how excited he chose to play with one of the game’s best young talents over signing with a win-now team.
“I love nothing more than the opportunity to play and contribute and hoop,” Paul said via ESPN’s Andrew Lopez. “My family is everything. My wife is here, my kids are back in L.A., and that’s where they will be during the season,” Paul said. “And I love basketball so much that I could be close to home, but if I’m not playing, I’m not happy…”
“There’s no player in the league that everybody talks about [more] after the game,” said Paul on Wembanyama. “Me and Harrison [Barnes] were on our flight talking about how cool it’s going to be at this point in our careers to get a chance to appreciate him day in and out.”
Paul, 39, just finished his 19th season in the NBA. The longtime basketball veteran is widely considered to be one of the greatest point guards ever with career averages of 17.5 points, 9.4 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game on 47.1% shooting. Last season, Paul played backup point guard to Stephen Curry in Golden State but now he’ll be serving the Spurs after signing a one-year, $11 million deal.
For a guy who has never won the title, many thought that Paul would look to sign with the strongest team available for his next (and potentially last) contract but he shocked everyone by signing with the Spurs, who won 22 games through the entirety of last season.
After stints with the Hornets, Clippers, Rockets, Thunder, Suns, and Warriors, Paul is likely to finish his career with the Spurs, under Gregg Popovich and as the head initiator for Victor Wembanyama.
Last year’s No. 1 overall pick won Rookie of the Year with averages of 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 3.6 blocks per game on 46% shooting for the Spurs. After such an impressive debut, Victor’s superstar status is almost guaranteed and the Spurs are officially on the clock to build a title contender around him.
So far, with nothing but Paul, Popovich, and young talent, the Spurs are not primed to be winners anytime soon but if they can establish a winning culture both on the court and in the locker room, it could set the stage for a major rise in the future.
As for what we can expect from Paul, it remains to be seen how big his role will be on the Spurs next season but he gives them what they needed the most: some structure and purpose on offense. Now that Victor has someone who can reliably get him the ball, he should be in for his best season yet and it could be all the Spurs need to take another step up in the West.
