Wembanyama, Castle respond to Chris Paul's "hard to deal with" comments

In the San Antonio Spurs' win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, Chris Paul achieved something truly remarkable. Registering the 12,092nd assist of his storied NBA career, CP3 officially passed Jason Kidd on the all-time assists list. He now sits behind only John Stockton on the list of assists all-time in the NBA.

Paul's teammates of course gave him a rousing congratulations. At one point while enjoying his celebration, Chris remarked to his teammates that he knows he can be hard to deal with sometimes. After repeating this phrase a second time, it caught the ears of several listeners.

On Wednesday, Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle were both asked about this moment and about Paul's words specifically after the team's practice. Their responses were ones of appreciation for their future hall-of-fame teammate, dispelling any rumors that they do not like playing with CP.

"He meant not saying things with a filter," said Wembanyama. "I don't know how else to say it. Just very straightforward, but always with a good intent. I've never seen him talk bad about another guy in the back, but he'll say things up front about what we need to do, or what he thinks we need to do better for the team. I think that's what he means."

Wemby and Castle had big words for Chris Paul

This seems to be a perfect picture of what Chris Paul is like as a teammate. He is going to say what needs to be said, not what people want to hear. It is extremely encouraging to hear that Victor enjoys being around CP, and he also noted that he understands the Chris Paul experience is perhaps not everyone's cup of tea.

"I'm sure it can be hard for some people to deal with it," he said. "But luckily we've all been humbled by the organization, by Pop, so we know how to take things straightforward." There were plenty of chuckles from the reporters in attendance after that comment.

Stephon Castle also gave his perspective on Chris' words. "I see where he was coming from with it," said Castle. "But when I'm on the court, I don't really take nothing personal. If you really just listen to what he's saying, and sometimes not the tone he's saying it, then you'll get the message."

When asked about what he admires most about CP3, Castle noted how Paul is like a coach on the floor, and how players can go to him about anything and even about non-basketball things. But he said the biggest thing he admires about Chris is his selflessness.

These are all really uplifting words to hear from the Spurs' youngsters concerning their veteran leader. Chris Paul has been a great addition to this team, and although it is not guaranteed he remains in San Antonio through the end of the season, he has clearly left an indelible mark on his impressionable young teammates.