Tag: Chris Paul

Chris Paul wisely ducks Giannis Antetokounmpo postgame after mocking Bucks’ star

The Spurs are lucky Milwaukee doesn’t have secret tunnels under the arena.

It’s been seven years since Chris Paul and a group of Houston Rockets players stormed across the Staples Center to confront Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers.

It seems Paul learned his lesson when it comes to finishing fights with those much larger than him. He still has a ways to go when it comes to starting them, however. Giannis Antetokounmpo proved as much on Friday night.

During the San Antonio Spurs’ 144-118 victory in Milwaukee, Paul had Antetokounmpo absolutely heated after a shove to the back left the Bucks’ star writhing in pain on the floor. The play was reviewed and determined to be a common foul, but it set off a back-and-forth between Paul and Giannis that carried over after the final buzzer.

Here’s how it all started:

Considering there were barely four minutes remaining in a game that had gotten out of hand (the Spurs were leading by 20), it’s easy to understand why Giannis was upset over the physical play.

The chirping carried over to the ensuing free throw attempts as Paul seemingly mocked Antetokounmpo’s form. Giannis then appeared to invite Paul to come see him after the game.

Giannis was serious, too. As soon as the game was over, Antetokounmpo made his way over to midcourt where lip-readers believe he shouted “I’m right here” at Paul.

Paul retreated to the locker room instead of going to chat with Giannis. Which is probably for the best. Antetokounmpo is a decade younger than Paul and nearly twice his size. There was only one way this was going to end.

After Paul’s retreat, Giannis ripped into him during media availability, per ESPN:

“People that know me, they don’t try me,” Antetokounmpo told reporters after the game. “If you try me, it’s a different side. If you try me, you’re gonna get that different side of me.”

Antetokounmpo initially said “nothing” happened, calling it “a physical play,” before adding, “I don’t know if I was tripped or I was pushed.” He elaborated when asked why he waited for Paul after the game.

“At the end of the day, I think we’re all men. We all respect one another,” Antetokounmpo said. “If words cross the line, then there’s got to be consequences. I really don’t say much. I don’t say much to start with, try to play the game the right way. If I feel like you’re putting my livelihood, my career and my body in jeopardy, in danger, enough is enough, brother. I have a family to feed, and what makes you laugh can also make you cry sometimes.”

No word on if there are any secret tunnels between locker rooms in Milwaukee, but Paul has to be feeling good the Spurs won’t face the Bucks again this season.

Giannis clearly isn’t ready to let this one go.

Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul did the nicest thing for JJ Redick’s sons after California wildfires

This is SO sweet.

When the Lakers hosted the Spurs on Monday night, two San Antonio stars went above and beyond to ease the pain after a devastating tragedy.

After the game in Los Angeles following the Lakers loss, Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama did a wonderful favor for head coach JJ Redick. The former NBA player lost his home in the Palisades Fire and shared his very emotional perspective on the tragedy.

Redick and his family lost so many valuable possessions and important memories in the disaster. Thankfully, however, Paul and Wembanyama offered to help them rebuild at least some of their collection and provide a piece of comfort during these difficult times.

You can see how much this moment means to Redick’s sons, Karter and Kai.

During his postgame interview, Redick explained why this was so important to his children.

Here is what Redick said about Paul:

“He called me this afternoon and said Vic and I are going to go, whether you win or we win, we’re going to go over and give the boys jerseys. He is well aware that they’re huge NBA fans … I ran a podcast out of my home for two years and all the players would come through and they would get either their jersey or a card signed. They had a collection and jerseys and cards and they lost all of that. So it was nice of them to do it.”

He added that Austin Reaves also left a couple jerseys in his locker for them after practice recently as well.

Redick said that he appreciated all of the love but that he was not surprised Paul, his former teammate on the Clippers, would do something like that.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1373]

Mock Draft Monday: Bucs get defensive overhaul from PFF

PFF focused its mock draft on the Bucs’ defense, which seems to be a popular trend for the team’s draft plan projections.

Mock draft Monday is going to look a little different here, in part because PFF dropped their latest piece on Monday. Trevor Sikkema published a three-round mock draft, so we will discuss those picks he made.

PFF focused its mock draft on the Bucs’ defense, which seems to be a popular trend for the team’s draft plan projections.

The mock draft has the Bucs making three picks in the first three rounds, all of them are on defense. The 16th overall pick, which the team is projected to own, has them landing Ole Miss defensive lineman Walter Nolan. Sikkema writes on Nolan that he, “Is more than just a traditional tackle—he’s a former 5-star defensive lineman with elite athletic potential at 6-foot-3, 305 pounds. His blend of burst and physicality allows him to line up as a 4i or 5-tech defensive end, making him an excellent fit to bolster the Buccaneers’ pass rush. . .”

He also has the Bucs adding at the linebacker position with Nolan’s Ole Miss teammate Chris Paul Jr. and then in the secondary with Lathan Ransom at safety from Ohio State. Both of those players come from defenses where they are leaders on that side of the ball and are proven playmakers.

Both of those are something that this Bucs defense needs an injection of.

12 players making an efficiency leap in the NBA this season

HoopsHype ranks the 12 players who have made the biggest efficiency leaps from 2023-24 to 2024-25, including Chris Paul and Josh Hart.

The first quarter of every NBA season is a blast because there’s so much to learn. We’re creeping up on the 20-game mark for most teams, which means we’re starting to feel a little more grounded in our new evaluations of players, teams, and coaches – although plenty can still change.

Sample sizes at the player level are still small, but they’re not infinitesimal anymore. We can feel better about directional reads on where they’ve improved (or where they haven’t).

In today’s numbers-driven NBA, efficiency is king. We wanted to look at who has optimized their shot diet and leveled up their shotmaking compared to previous years to become a more effective scoring option. I looked at everyone in Basketball-Reference’s qualifying list of players from this year and last year and narrowed it down to players who have attempted at least 7.5 shots per game this season, leaving me with a pool of 119 players. Below are the 12 (the top decile) with the biggest jump in true shooting percentage (TS%).

We’re not at the point where these things are capital-T truths yet; a whole lot of the season still has to go on, and not everyone on this list will remain here if we re-run the exercise at the end of the year. But these players have made such significant jumps that it has to mean something, even if they come back to Earth eventually.

Thunder guard and Texas A&M alumnus Alex Caruso rated higher in NBA 2k25 than 2 legends

Ahead of the release for NBA 2k25, player ratings have begun to be revealed and the newest member of the Thunder is ranked ahead of legends.

As one of the best defensive guards in the NBA, Texas A&M alumnus Alex Caruso is well respected by his peers — and deservingly so.

Ahead of the release for NBA 2k25 on Sept. 6, player ratings have begun to be revealed and the newest member of the Thunder is ranked ahead of two future Basketball Hall of Famers.

Caruso was given an 82 rating which ranked him 71st overall in the association. Other players with an identical rating include: Jalen Suggs, Herbert Jones, Jerami Grant, Darius Garland, Ivica Zubac and Jonas Valančiūnas.

The combo guard found himself slotted ahead of five former NBA All-Stars, two of which are arguably first ballot Hall of Famers. Those pair of legends are Chris Paul and Klay Thompson. After Caruso was traded to Oklahoma City in June, the move was compared to when the Golden State Warriors acquired Thompson’s former teammate, Andre Iguodala.

The other three All-Stars ranked behind Caruso, all of which with an 81 rating, are D’Angelo Russell, Mike Conley and Nikola Vucevic.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

 

Chris Paul’s PlayersTV investment scores big with DIRECTV

Chris Paul’s media investment is already paying dividends.

Chris Paul is among 70 athletes to either be part of PlayersTV’s ownership group or hold shares within the company. The former Golden State Warriors guard, and future Hall of Famer has now seen a direct return on his initial investment, as PlayersTV has struck a groundbreaking deal with DIRECTV.

The move, the first of its kind, will see PlayersTV expand its overall reach to a vast new audience. The channel specializes in sports, entertainment and lifestyle content and also boasts Carmelo Anthony, Kyrie Irving and CJ McCollum, among the notable names from within NBA circles.

“PlayersTV has announced a new agreement with DIRECTV, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of sports media,” The press release read. “As the only athlete fan-owned media network and content provider exclusively dedicated to sports, lifestyle, and entertainment, PlayersTV will now expand its reach to millions of new viewers. This agreement offers unparalleled access to premium athlete lifestyle content, solidifying PlayersTV as the premier destination for sports enthusiasts seeking a deeper, more personal connection with their favorite athletes.”

Paul, who signed with the San Antonio Spurs during the summer, is firmly in the final stage of his playing career.

It would appear that he’s already finding success in other avenues and could potentially embark on a new journey with PlayersTV once his time in the league draws to a close.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1434 tag=1365]

Warriors could potentially avoid first tax apron

The Golden State Warriors could potentially avoid the luxury tax next season.

The Golden State Warriors have reduced their total salary obligations during the offseason. With Klay Thompson and Chris Paul both leaving the franchise, the Warriors’ cap sheet looks healthier than it has in multiple years. During the 2023-24 season, Joe Lacob noted how he wanted the franchise to reduce its tax burden and potentially avoid being hit with another repeater tax.

In a recent article for Bleacher Report, cap guru Eric Pincus explained how the new cap rules and the Warriors’ recent moves in free agency have set the team up to potentially avoid the first tax apron in the upcoming season.

“The significant change for the Warriors was the reduction in luxury tax from last year’s league-leading $176.9 million penalty,” Pincus wrote. “It wouldn’t be shocking if the franchise dropped entirely below the tax line before the trade deadline. Thompson may be gone, but the team added De’Anthony Melton, Anderson and Hield while dramatically reducing payroll.”

The front office has done a great job of re-tooling the roster while also shedding a significant amount of salary. The Warriors are potentially better equipped than they were last season and could avoid being a luxury tax team in the coming months.
Whether the front office decides to pursue ducking under the luxury tax or commits to adding another impactful player to the rotation remains to be seen. Either way, it’s been a strong summer in the Bay Area.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1434 tag=1365]

Recent San Antonio Spurs arrival Chris Paul named to top 100 athletes since 2000

The Spurs are getting quite the veteran point guard for next season, it seems.

When the San Antonio Spurs signed veteran point guard Chris Paul away from the Golden State Warriors at the start of the NBA’s 2024 free agency period, they knew that they were getting one of the league’s savviest active players and a future Hall of Famer.

But they are also getting (at least in the eyes of ESPN) one of the world’s top 100 athletes since the year 2000. No. 83 overall, to be specific, just behind gymnast Kohei Uchimura and just ahead of WNBA champion Lauren Jackson. “Paul has run thousands of pick-and-rolls to perfection and dished the ball out for nearly 12,000 assists, but his greatest accomplishment might have been transforming the (Los Angeles) Clippers from annual punching bags to perennial playoff contenders while orchestrating the unforgettable Lob City teams,” writes ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk.

“Before Paul’s arrival in Los Angeles, the franchise had made the postseason just seven times in its history.”

“Paul’s Clippers made the playoffs six consecutive times as he delivered some of the most scintillating alley-oops in NBA history to Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan,” he adds.

“Clippers fans won’t forget Paul’s Game 7-winning running bank shot that capped off a 27-point performance against the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in the first round in 2015.”

We’re sure y’all did not need to be reminded of that last tidbit — but he’s on the Spurs’ side now, after all.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

San Antonio Spurs veteran point guard Chris Paul sells West Coast mansion

Evidently, Paul does not plan on kicking it on the West Coast again any time soon.

Evidently, newest San Antonio Spurs floor general Chris Paul does not plan on kicking it on the West Coast again any time soon. The veteran point guard reportedly sold his Encino-based mansion, according to some recent reporting from TMZ.

And while that does not make clear anything much about his future plans in his new home, given the stage of career CP3 is at as one of the league’s elder statesmen, its duration with any particular ball club probably ought to be measured by contract length over earnings potential. The mansion reportedly went for a cool $15 million, and features a salt water pool, and home theater to boot.

It also has wine cellar, a home gym, a multi-sport court, and plenty more stunning amenities.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C8fs9eGys83/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=66fac586-7dec-42b9-80a7-34f273c14539

Take a look at the Instagram post embedded above to get a better idea of Paul’s sumptuous digs.

Especially if you happen to have the money to recreate such an expansive manse.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Which Warriors were snubbed in ESPN’s latest top-25 rankings?

Did ESPN snub any current of former Golden State Warriors players in their lastest “Top-25 of the 21st Century” rankings?

ESPN recently released its “Top-25 Players of the 21st Century” list. Steph Curry was positioned third, and Draymond Green came in 22nd. Klay Thompson was not included despite his importance to the Golden State Warriors’ dominance over the past decade. Kevin Durant and Chris Paul were also named to the list, but their tenures in the Bay Area were fleeting.

Of course, there are other members of the Warriors roster that were overlooked. Andre Iguodala springs to mind as an impactful rotation player that played a key role in the team’s early dominance.

In a recent video on the “Warriors Digest” YouTube channel, the host debates which members of Golden State’s dynasty ESPN have overlooked and whether the panel of voters got the decision right.

Due to ESPN’s rankings covering players from the last 24 years, there were undoubtedly some difficult decisions when choosing which players to omit and who to include.

Still, if you want to find out who was snubbed, you can watch the full video by clicking on the embedded link above.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1471 tag=1365]