NBA ALL-STAR MEDIA DAY

February 19, 2022

Chris Paul

Media Day Press Conference

CHRIS PAUL: What WNBA player would I want? Maybe Coop, Cynthia Cooper. I was 19 years old when they started WNBA, I remember that like it was yesterday. I was raising the roof, doing all that different type stuff, watching every game. Being a point guard, I always loved Cynthia Cooper.

Q. What WNBA player would you want as your teammate?

CHRIS PAUL: As my teammate. I might take D.T. (Diana Taurasi). All these years being in the league, it's the first time I've been on a team that had a WNBA affiliate. Me and D.T. be at the gym talking hoop all day every day. We're just as competitive with each other. We both get into it with the officials all the time, so I feel like it's a match made in heaven.

Q. On AAU basketball near his home in North Carolina.

CHRIS PAUL: For real? Where you from? Okay. 919, the Flames. Yeah. The Flames, women's AAU team who I'm so proud of. We got a young lady in the McDonald's All-American game. I think me for me having two kids -- I have a 12-year-old son and a 9-year-old daughter, and my daughter just last year fell in love with the game of basketball. You know what I mean?

I'm excited about seeing the growth in the women's game. I'm a big fan of the W. It's probably been the funnest year, and last year having the WNBA team right there in our home city. I tell people -- I don't know if I tell people all the time, but the day I got traded to Phoenix, I got to Phoenix, and I worked out on one side of the court, and on the other court Diana Taurasi was working out. I'll never forget that image in my head. We don't really get to do that in the league.

Q. Where do you see the game heading over the next five years?

CHRIS PAUL: You know, it changes, and it changes quick, and if you don't change with it, it will leave you behind. You know what I mean? Everybody talks about the pace of play as far as X's and O's. Execution. Some teams want to shoot a lot of threes. That's cool, but you got to have people that can shoot threes, and you have to play smart.

The game is forever changing. That's why I'm grateful that I've been able to play all these years because you got to be able to adjust to your team and what's going on.

Q. What are your thoughts on Denver’s Facundo Campazzo?

CHRIS PAUL: Campazzo is a dog, man. Even playing against him when he plays in Denver, he is a guy that you always got to be ready. Some people dribble the ball real casual around him, and then is he going to steal it. Same thing on offense. He is a great distributor, but he can score and shoot the ball. He just chooses not to. I think I seen a clip from 2008 or 2012, I didn't realize I actually played against him in those Olympics years ago.

But he is a great competitor, and I respect the way he plays the game because he plays the same way every night.

Q. How is your hand feeling and will it affect how much you play tomorrow?

CHRIS PAUL: It will be all right. I'm going to see. Even if it's just to get out there and maybe throw a couple of assists. As long as I pass it to somebody, somebody will make it.

Q. Who do you think is the most explosive point guard?

CHRIS PAUL: Most explosive? There's a lot of guys in the league. You run off some names, I can tell you, but those questions are always hard. Oh, yeah, Ja is unreal. Ja is unreal. The way he can explode in transition and go up and dunk is crazy. We haven't seen that -- Russ can do that. D. Rose used to do that. Not too many guys got it like Ja, I'll tell you that much.

Q. Are you frustrated by the injury?

CHRIS PAUL: Always going to be a frustration with injury. I’ve had four hand surgeries in my career. My hand surgeon is part of my family now, but things could be a lot worse. I'm still blessed. Grateful that we're 48-10, and if I do miss some time, I know the guys will hold it down.

Q. What are your thoughts on Fred VanVleet?

CHRIS PAUL: Fred is such a good dude. Such a good dude. It's crazy because a lot of these guys I got relationships with because they came to my camp. You know what I mean? I'm always grateful that they take time to even come to camp, and then I get a chance to know them, and I watch games every night, so Fred is a guy who you just say he got it out the mud.

Still now I really respect the guys who get paid and get these deals and it don't change them. I’ve played long enough to see a guy get a big deal and then their game just changed, but Fred plays the same way every night, and I always respect that man.