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NBA ALL-STAR 2020

February 15, 2020

Chris Paul

Chicago, Illinois

Q. For somebody who's never been to an All-Star Game, how would you describe this weekend?
CHRIS PAUL: It's busy, very busy, but exciting. I had a chance to sit with Bam [Adebayo] last night at the Rising Stars game. I got a chance to see Book [Devin Booker] in the locker room just now, and I know Jayson Tatum really well. It's a busy, sort of long weekend, but it's exciting, especially if you've never experienced it, and it's nice to be able to enjoy it with the people that you love.

Q. How does this compare to years past?
CHRIS PAUL: It's crazy, man. You make it a certain amount of times, you just get used to going. It's going to be this, and it's going to be that. It's nice to be back, and it's just something you never take for granted.

Q. What will make this season greater?
CHRIS PAUL: What's going to make it greater? First and foremost, make the playoffs. We'll take it step by step. First we've got to clinch a playoff seed, and then we'll go from there.

Q. What's working for you right now?
CHRIS PAUL: What's working for us? I don't know, I think it's just the fact that we play together. We compete every night, play together. We've got a great group of guys.

Q. Who's your favorite to win the Dunk Contest?
CHRIS PAUL: Favorite to win the Dunk Contest, who all is in it? Ja Morant in the Dunk Contest? Ja not in it? Who else in it? It ain't but two of them. You all are saying two names.

Man, I like Pat [Connaughton]. Pat got sneaky bounce. Derrick Jones is unbelievable too.

Q. How about the 3-Point Contest?
CHRIS PAUL: 3-Point Contest, who all in that?

I'm going to go with Book. That's like my little brother, man. I'm going to go with Devin Booker.

Q. What's been the big difference for you this year?
CHRIS PAUL: I think this year I've probably just been a little bit more healthy. I mean, I knocked knees my first year in Houston in a preseason game, missed 15 games. Last year I missed like 15 games. My last year with the Clippers, ol' Russ [Russell Westbrook] broke my thumb. I missed some games.

Q. On playing with Danilo Gallinari:
CHRIS PAUL: Gallo? That's my man. Me and Gallo really got close this season. We sit next to each other on the bus. We're the only two on the team that's 30 years old or older. At this point in our careers, we can appreciate each other.

Q. What motivated you to get back?
CHRIS PAUL: What motivated me? I think for me, being in the league so long, being on the Competition Committee, I'm always trying to figure out different ways that our game can continue to grow, especially the All-Star Game, even though I haven't played in a few years. So [the new format] it's a way to keep the game even more exciting, and because I watch the TBT [The Basketball Tournament] all summer. I coach the TBT, yeah.

Q. Chris, how do you think about the idea of having a one-on-one competition All-Star Weekend?
CHRIS PAUL: To have the one-on-one competition at All-Star Weekend? I don't know. It's always up to the guys. If the guys want to do it, cool. I ain't playing, but somebody will.

Q. Who's the best in one-on-one?
CHRIS PAUL: I don't know. That's tough because, obviously, like LeBron, Kyrie, James, all them different guys are good, but the Joker [Nikola Jokic] going to be good too. So is it going to be a three-dribble limit, you know what I mean?

Q. Who do you want to play against?
CHRIS PAUL: Anybody. I don't care. It don't matter.

Q. What would it mean for Oklahoma City to host the All-Star Game?
CHRIS PAUL: What would the city of Oklahoma have to do to get the All-Star Game? I think the rule -- there's like criteria. You've got to be able to have a certain amount of hotel rooms and the space and all that.

Q. What could you do to get the All-Star Game to Oklahoma City?
CHRIS PAUL: I don't know if they've got the resources. I don't know. It would be cool. I live in Oklahoma now.

Q. (No microphone).
CHRIS PAUL: Everybody in my family went to HBCUs [historically black colleges and universities] except for me. So I understand the importance of them. They don't always get the same funding that a lot of other schools get. So I try to bring a lot of that knowledge to the forefront because it's education, and like I said, more of my family go to HBCUs than any other schools. So I'm big on that initiative.

Q. On the coronavirus:
CHRIS PAUL: You know, this game of basketball is a huge game, and I've been blessed and fortunate enough to travel to China for a number of times. A friend of mine, Pooh Jeter, plays over in China, and I actually wrote "Wuhan" on my shoes the other night in a game in New Orleans because this isn't just a Wuhan problem. It's an everyone problem.

Q. What did you learn in Houston that you brought to Oklahoma City?
CHRIS PAUL: What did I learn in Houston that I brought over to Oklahoma City?

Q. What have you taken from your time in Houston?
CHRIS PAUL: Definitely not my family, you know what I mean. What did I bring? I don't know. I don't know.

Q. Which Houston player taught you the most?
CHRIS PAUL: I think the person that I probably learned the most from was P.J., P.J. Tucker, who was like my brother, man. He's so selfless, gives himself up night in and night out. P.J. is like the unsung hero of the NBA, you know what I mean? He's not going to be on the stat sheet with all this different type stuff.

Shoutout to P.J., though. He just got -- I think they guaranteed his last year. He needs an extension. That's all the man want. The man play every night and can't get an extension.

Q. If you could add a WNBA player to the lineup this weekend, who would you add?
CHRIS PAUL: I'd probably add Tamera Young. She's been a journeyman in the WNBA for all these years, doing everything that her team needs. So Tamera Young for sure.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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