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Michael Jordan Once Did Something Chris Paul Still Can’t Forget
Michael Jordan is arguably the greatest to ever play the game of basketball. Meeting him would be one of the defining moments of any player’s life. And if he knows who you are, that is something you’ll never forget. A lot of great players still remember their first interaction with His Airness. Even the great ‘Point God’ Chris Paul can still remember the first time he met Jordan.
Paul came into the NBA in 2005 as the fourth pick in the draft. The New Orleans Hornets selected him. Eventually, He developed into one of the premier players in the league and was one of the best point guards in the league. And when the franchise was bought by the league, Paul had a chance to end up at the Charlotte Bobcats, which was owned by Michael Jordan. The Bobcats could have selected Paul in the draft, but they refused to move up.
Michael Jordan knew who Chris Paul was when he first met him
Paul recounts the day he met Jordan. He had a contract with Nike and he was a part of the Jordan Brand Classic game in 2003. Paul says, “We were getting ready to take the team picture, I was sitting in one seat and Shannon Brown was sitting in another seat and the middle seat was open.”
“We obviously knew MJ was going to walk in and sit there. When he walked in, man, he just took over the room. And he actually walked up and knew my name. So that’s something I’ll never forget. To have a personal relationship with him now and for him to be a mentor of mine, it’s something when you’re growing up as a kid in North Carolina you would never expect.”
Jan 28, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul (3) reacts against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The duo still share a great relationship to this day. Paul would not go to Bobcats but would end up going to the Los Angeles Clippers. Eventually, the Bobcats transitioned themselves and are now called the Charlotte Hornets. After years of mediocrity, the Hornets are a playoff-contending team and they have a host of young talent. But they may not have had to struggle so much if they had just moved up and drafted Paul or signed him in 2012. After all, Michael Jordan was Paul’s mentor.
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