Is Chris Paul Ready for the Conference Finals?
HOUSTON — Chris Paul, 13 years into his career, finally is going to the conference finals. The future Basketball Hall of Famer made sure of that. Not that he’s ready to celebrate. “Not at all. Who plays just for that?”
How many times has Chris Paul made the finals?
No one has ever made elite basketball look less fruitful either: Paul has made an All-NBA team eight times and the Western Conference Finals once. His meltdowns draw from a rich palette; Paul can provide a postseason embarrassment for every kind of taste.
Does Chris Paul have the secret to winning in the playoffs?
Tellingly, the only times Paul has had any modicum of playoff success in the last decade, he’s deferred to more talented teammates like Blake Griffin and James Harden. At 35 years old, it’s unlikely that Paul will somehow discover the secret to winning in the postseason.
What happened to Chris Paul in college basketball?
In the final game of the year, Paul punched NC State guard Julius Hodge in the groin and received a one-game suspension from the ACC Tournament, an incident that marred Paul’s image for a short time. The Demon Deacons again qualified for the NCAA Tournament but suffered a second round upset at the hands of West Virginia.
How many times has Chris Paul went to the Western Conference finals?
Chris Paul has 2 appearances in Western Conference Finals in his career.
How many times have Chris Paul been to the NBA Finals?
16 seasons. 12 playoff runs. Zero trips to the NBA Finals.
How many seconds did Chris Paul have to stop the clock?
Chris Paul makes sure he doesn’t squander his latest shot at reaching the conference finals. HOUSTON — The clock was stopped with 26.4 seconds left, but the game was already over when Chris Paul stepped up to the free-throw line. As the home crowd chanted his nickname – “CP3!
What happened to Dante Exum?
Dante Exum, who briefly stole the spotlight as a defensive stopper, was sitting on the sidelines in a suit for Game 5 with an injured hamstring. And then, with seven minutes left in a one-possession game, Mitchell collided with Harden and fell to the floor with a foot injury. He was helped to the locker room.
Who wore a flip flop on James Harden’s left foot?
From Jazz rookie sensation Donovan Mitchell, who was in the middle of a resplendent second half when he collided with James Harden, injured his left foot and headed to the locker room. Mitchell wore an Adidas flip flop on his bare left foot and he hugged Paul. Then the TNT cameras surrounded Paul.
Did Chris Paul make it past the second round?
Some of it was circumstances, some of it bad luck, but the truth of it was that until Tuesday night, Chris Paul had never made it past the second round of the playoffs. If there was a single-defining fact of his career, that was it.
What was the name of the NBA team that Paul played for?
Paul’s arrival to Los Angeles rejuvenated the Clippers franchise, with teammate Blake Griffin later commenting, “It put us on the map.” Early in Paul’s debut season, the team developed a reputation for their fast-paced offense and spectacular alley-oop dunks, usually from Paul to Griffin or DeAndre Jordan, earning them the nickname “Lob City”. Paul finished the year averaging 19.8 points, 9.1 assists, and 2.5 steals per game, becoming the first Clipper to be named to the All-NBA First Team since the franchise moved to Los Angeles in the 1980s. Behind his play and the emergence of Griffin as an All-NBA performer, Los Angeles qualified for the playoffs, losing to the San Antonio Spurs in the conference semifinals.
What happened to Paul in 2011?
In 2010–11, Paul had another injury scare on March 6, 2011, suffering a concussion after colliding with Cavaliers guard Ramon Sessions and being carried off the court on a stretcher.
What team did Paul play for in 2005?
Paul was selected fourth overall in the 2005 NBA draft by the New Orleans Hornets. Due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, the Hornets played most of their games in Oklahoma City in his first two seasons with the Hornets. Paul finished the season leading all rookies in points, assists, steals, and double-doubles, and became only the second rookie in NBA history to lead the league in total steals. With final averages of 16.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 7.8 assists, and 2.2 steals per game, he was named NBA Rookie of the Year, falling just one vote shy of winning the award unanimously. The only other rookie to receive a first place vote was Deron Williams, with whom Paul enjoyed a brief rivalry early in their careers.
How many steals did Paul get in the NBA?
On January 18, against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Paul earned his 1,958th steal, passing Derek Harper to move into 13th place on the NBA’s career steals list. On January 26, he scored a season-high 38 points in a 115–113 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Who is CP3 in the NBA?
Team competition. Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985), nicknamed ” CP3 “, is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Playing the point guard position, he has won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, an NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award, two Olympic gold medals, …
When did Paul get traded to the Lakers?
On December 8, 2011, the Hornets agreed to a three-team trade sending Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers. The NBA, who owned the Hornets at the time, nullified the deal, with commissioner David Stern claiming New Orleans would be better off keeping Paul.
Where is Chris Paul from?
Chris Paul was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to Charles Edward Paul and Robin Jones. He has an older brother, named Charles “C.J.” Paul. His family gave him the nickname “CP3” because he, his father, and his brother all share the same initials. A former athlete himself, Charles Sr. taught his sons basketball and football and coached them in various youth leagues throughout their childhoods. Growing up, the Paul brothers spent their summers working at a service station owned by their grandfather, Nathanial Jones; Paul attributes many life lessons to his grandfather and has described him as his “best friend”.
Who is the only player to lose 3 2-0 leads?
The only other player to have lost three 2-0 leads is Blake Griffin, who, of course, was Paul’s teammate with the Los Angeles Clippers — who, incidentally, became the first team in history to lose a series they led at some point in five consecutive postseasons. Chris Paul’s teams blown leads:
Is Chris Paul a Hall of Famer?
Chris Paul is an all-time great. He’s a surefire Hall of Famer and the second greatest point guard of the greatest point guard era in history, trailing only Stephen Curry.
How many games did Chris Paul lose to the Milwaukee Bucks?
The question is whether that should define him. Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns were two wins away from an N.B.A. championship, but their season ended with a six-game series loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Who is the coach of the Suns?
Suns Coach Monty Williams made the case that a career like Paul’s should be appreciated for what it is, rather than dissected for what it is not. Today’s players are cognizant of the importance of cementing their legacies with a championship. Barbershop debates are started and ended over the topic.
What did Devin Booker say about the Phoenix Suns?
In defeat, Devin Booker said that the youthful Phoenix Suns had hoped to skip many of the brutal roadblocks that can quickly vanquish a team with championship aspirations. Like a broken hand. Or a finnicky hamstring. Or running into a juggernaut of a team led by perhaps the greatest shooter ever.
Overview
Professional career
Paul was selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft by the New Orleans Hornets. Due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, the Hornets played most of their games in Oklahoma City during Paul’s first two seasons with the team. Paul finished his debut season leading all rookies in total points, assists, steals, and double-doubles, and became only the second rooki…
Early life
Chris Paul was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to Charles Edward Paul and Robin Jones. He grew up in Lewisville with his older brother, Charles “C.J.” Paul. His family gave him the nickname “CP3” because he, his father, and his brother all share the same initials. A former athlete himself, Charles Sr. taught his sons basketball and football and coached them in various youth leagues throughout their childhoods. Growing up, the Paul brothers spent their summers workin…
High school career
Paul attended West Forsyth High School in Clemmons, North Carolina. During his freshman and sophomore seasons, he played on the junior varsity team. For his junior year, he averaged 25 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.4 steals per game, helping West Forsyth reach the state semifinals. Over the ensuing summer, he led the Winston-Salem-based Kappa Magic to the National U-17 AAU title, earning tournament MVP honors in the process. During his senior season, Paul received nationa…
College career
As a freshman at Wake Forest University, Paul averaged 14.8 points, 5.9 assists, and 2.7 steals per game, setting school freshman records for three-point percentage, free throws, free throw percentage, assists, and steals in the process. Behind his play, the Demon Deacons qualified for the NCAA Tournament, losing in the Sweet Sixteen to St. Joseph’s. At the conclusion of the season, Paul was named ACC Rookie of the Year and Third Team All-ACC.
National team career
Paul made his debut for the United States national team at the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan. He finished the competition with a tournament-high 44 assists, helping Team USA win the bronze medal in the process. At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, he played a key role off the bench, scoring 13 points in a gold medal game victory against Spain. In addition to the gold medal, Team US…
Player profile
Standing 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) tall and weighing 175 pounds (79 kg), Paul exclusively plays the point guard position. His career averages are 18.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 9.5 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. He has earned All-NBA honors 11 times (2008, 2009, 2011–2016, 2020, 2021, 2022), All-Defensive honors nine times (2008, 2009, 2011–2017), and led the NBA in steals a record six times (2008, 2009, 2011–2014) and in assists four times (2008, 2009, 2014, 2015). In 2013, he …
Off the court
Paul is regularly ranked as one of the highest-paid athletes in the world by Forbes. Some of the companies that he has done business with include Nike and State Farm. For a State Farm ad campaign, he portrayed a fictional twin brother named Cliff Paul. Paul was also the cover athlete for the video game NBA 2K8.
Paul was selected president of the National Basketball Players Association (NB…