It's still hard to believe that I disliked Chris Paul as much as I did when he was menacing our basketball team as a member of the Hornets, Clippers, and Rockets. I wasn't the only one. Spurs fans everywhere had a special disdain for CP3, but it was built out of respect because he was so damn good. He's still good at 39 years old, but now he's doing his thing for SA, and it's been awesome to watch.
But there's more to wearing silver and black, and that's why not every player is the right fit. It's the reason why Stephen Jackson couldn't stick around in his second stint with the team. There's a degree of humility, understanding, and empathy that Spurs lifers have, and the more we learn about the Point God off the floor, the more we see he was always meant to don these colors.
It was CP3's idea to give Redick's kids signed jerseys
The Spurs put a beatdown on the Lakers in the second half and especially in the fourth quarter last night. It was a complete team effort, with six players scoring double-digit points, keeping the turnovers low while racking up 16 steals as a group. The performance led to a 126-102 blowout, but after the game was over, real life set back in, and Chris Paul didn't miss a chance to make an impact.
Paul played 230 games with JJ Redick alongside him in a Clippers uniform. He threw 634 assists to the sharpshooter from Duke during their time together when they developed a bond deeper than basketball—they grew to be brothers.
When the game was over, Paul made sure his brother's two sons knew that Uncle Chris was still thinking about them through the tough times LA residents have been going through due to the unimaginable damage the wildfires have caused. He and Victor Wembanyama gave their game-worn jerseys to Redick's kids after the game, signed them, and took pictures.
The mark of how good a man is can be measured by how he treats others when he doesn't have to. Paul's family lives in LA, too. His wife and kids have been through as much chaos as everyone else, but he still had the presence of mind to think about his relationship with the Lakers head coach and his family.
You would have thought that perhaps Redick, looking out for his kids, simply asked if CP3 would be willing to be so generous after the game. However, in his postgame press conference, JJ revealed that it was Paul who called him ahead of time to let him know his plan for the boys, saying, "Vic and I are gonna go—whether we win—we're gonna go over and give the boys jerseys."
That's the kind of guy who is perfect for San Antonio. The Spurs have always been strong in the community. They have a very altruistic approach to their profession because they understand the privilege they have to play a game for a living, making so much money. That ideal boils over into everything they do because they aren't faking it. It's who they are.
What we've found out about Chris Paul is that as fiercely as he fights on the court for a win, he supports his loved ones off the court just as vigorously. We're lucky he landed in SA, and fans should be as proud as ever that CP3 wears a Spurs uniform.