In addition to his reputation as a fierce competitor and a Hall of Fame-caliber player, Chris Paul is known for his mentorship.
While things like his relationship with second-year Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, as well as Paul buying his teammates all custom suits have been greatly publicized, there are other things the veteran guard does that fly under the radar.
As noted in a recent article by Sports Illustrated’s Rohan Nadkarni, “the younger Thunder players have also reaped the rewards of having someone like Paul around the organization, both on and off the court.” Especially Darius Bazley.
Rookie swingman Darius Bazley has gotten advice from Paul on everything from work habits to figuring out how to find a woman he should settle down with. Bazley’s mom was going to miss the first game of his NBA career—a road matchup against the Jazz—until Paul found out. Paul put Bazley in touch with his own family to rectify the situation. Sure enough, Bazley’s mother was in Utah to watch her son make his debut.
It’s these instances of Paul’s leadership that are part of the reason why Sam Presti brought him to Oklahoma City in the trade for Russell Westbrook. By all accounts, the Thunder General Manager couldn’t be happier about how the deal has worked out for both parties.
“His professionalism, his outlook, and his maturity have been on another level. We are going through a transition ourselves, so it’s somewhat poetic, how he has returned at this point in the organizational timeline, and how he’s elevated our team. All I can say is that Chris has been all we could have hoped for and more.”
And it doesn’t look like Paul is going anywhere soon.
He was adamant about not declining his $44.2 million player option for 2021-22, which will make it difficult to move him prior to the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
Paul is going to be in Oklahoma City for the long haul, at least until the end of the season. And that seems to be a good thing for everyone involved.