10th year a star
Chris Paul plays in the All-Star game for the first time since 2016
CHICAGO — Reporters began gathering around Chris Paul's podium even before his name arrived. By the time he stepped up to the lectern, the cluster of media members had more than quadrupled.
It had been four years since Paul had last spoken at All-Star Media Day. Since then, the NBA had opened the event up to fans, who watched from the stands Saturday as reporters swarmed from one player's pod to the next, up to 10 players taking questions at the same time.
“It's crazy, man,” Paul said of his return. “When you make it a certain amount of times, you just get used to going, and it's going to be this, it's going tobe that. So, it's unbelievable to be back. It's something you never take for granted.”
Paul, a 10-time All-Star, made his first All-Star appearance in four years on Sunday. His first nine All-Star seasons came in consecutive years, from 2008 through 2016. He sat out of just one All-Star game in that span, needing an injury replacement in 2010 after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus.
This season, 34-yearold is 15th in the NBA, the coaches voted him in as a reserve.
“I think he's been able to just be him,” said Raptors All-Star Kyle Lowry, who played against Paul in the 2016 All-Star Game. “And I think he's having fun. I think his team is really good. I think he' s just being the leader that he is. I'm a big fan of Chris', and I think he's just being the guy that he's supposed to be. And that's himself.”
Paul' s raw statistics this season don't compete with his nine other AllStar seasons. So far, his 17.4 points per game only beats his 15.9 in 2010-11. That year, Paul led the league in steals ( 2.4 per game). His average steals (1.6), and assists (6.7) this season are career lows. But context is important. Paul is one of three Thunder point guards who
share responsibilities on offense and defense.
Paul committed to that system, which dr as tical ly differed from the isolation- heavy offense the Rockets built around James Harden when Paul was in Houston. Paul's eagerness to share the ball, and his mentorship of the Thunder's young players, have helped launch the Thunder to a 33-22 record entering the
All-Star break. And when those factors won't secure the win, Paul can take over a game. He leads the NBA with 128 clutch points.
Ask Paul to explain his return to All-Star, and he points to another factor.
“I think this year I've probably just been a little more healthy,” he said.
As a Clipper in 2016-17, Paul played just 61 regular season games. With the Rockets the next two
seasons, he played 58 in each.
So far this season, Paul has missed just one. The day after Kobe Bryant's death, Paul was away from the team for personal reasons.
“Hopefully it stays this way,” Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said of Paul's health. “Chris works out a lot and does everything he can to stay healthy. He's done a really good job of it so far.”