Brandon Rahbar: Shai says Chris Paul has helped him with so many things off the court, and he mentioned eating and taking care of his body. We’ll need to investigate further to see if Shai is now plant based or if he’s still a meat man.
Chris Paul Rumors
All NBA Players
Position: G
Born: 05/06/85
Height: 6-1 / 1.85
Weight:175 lbs. / 79.4 kg.
Salary: $38,506,482
Born: 05/06/85
Height: 6-1 / 1.85
Weight:175 lbs. / 79.4 kg.
Salary: $38,506,482
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Erik Horne: Chris Paul on Andre Roberson being back in practice: “It’s the best thing ever. When I talk about a guy being consummate teammate, for a guy to go through all the things he’s been through, I’m so happy for him. He’s had some of the toughest times people wouldn’t even know.”
Erik Horne: Chris Paul on the team being back together: “Zoom calls are nice, but it’s nothing like seeing each other. We’ve got a special team. We genuinely love to be around each other. To get out on the court and hoop with each other was a breath of fresh air.”
Royce Young: Chris Paul said he thought the Mavs’ balcony dance party was the best social media post he’s seen so far: “To see them outside doing that, having a good time, the more we have those type of interactions and experiences I think the better we’ll make this.”
Roberts said there also will be social justice messages on jerseys in languages other than English, including Slovenian, Italian, French Creole, Latvian, Maori, Hebrew, Bosnian and Portuguese. Oklahoma City Thunder guard and NBPA executive director Chris Paul plans to have “EQUALITY” on the back of his jersey. “I chose ‘EQUALITY’ because it reminds us that in order to have real impact and change, we need to make a conscious effort to level the playing field and create systems that are not bias based on race, education, economics or gender,” Paul told The Undefeated.
Marc J. Spears: Thunder guard and @NBPA president Chris Paul will have “EQUALITY” on the back of his jersey during the NBA re-start in Orlando, a source told @TheUndefeated. pic.twitter.com/gcg7zPkGTx
Brian Robb: Chris Paul called Jayson Tatum to ask him to be a part of negotiations with the NBPA heading into restart, according to Tatum.
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Paul gave basketball fans some insight on what that hour was like for him in an interview with Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles on the “Knuckleheads” podcast, and he revealed he spoke to Bryant during that small window of time: “I was on the phone with my brother and my agent, and all that. We figuring out a plane to get to New Orleans to get us to LA … let’s just say my agent clicked over, said hold on, clicked over and then he came back on and he was like, stuttering. And we was hot. We was hot. Me and Kobe had talked, you know what I’m saying? We had talked already and all that. And it was a lot. It was a lot.”
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She quickly became aware of Paul’s reputation as Paul became aware of hers. Despite living in Los Angeles, Paul knew other D.C. lawyers. “I couldn’t figure it out,” Roberts said. “How does this guy know people in my circle?” Roberts laughs about it now, realizing how extensive Paul’s list of contacts is. “In the last few months we’ve gotten closer,” Roberts said. “I count him as one of my favorite people on the planet. And not because he’s making my life easier, though God knows he is, but because his concern and commitment to this game, to his brothers, is extraordinary.”
Paul regularly dishes the rock in meetings. “If there’s been a presentation, Chris says ‘OK, what do y’all think?’ If there’s a minute of silence, it’s like a lecture in law school when the professor calls on a student,” Roberts said. “So and so, what do you think? That’s how he engages everybody in the decision process, but at the end of the day, that’s why you like having him on your team.”
Some might question if a future hall of famer is working in the best interests of players buried on the end of the bench, but Iguodala said Paul always falls back on the same mantra: “How can we amplify every player’s voice?” “He’s the definition of a leader, man,” said Grizzlies forward and NBPA secretary-treasurer Anthony Tolliver. “I don’t think there could be a better combination of leadership and superstardom and work ethic when it comes to leading this union. “Whoever comes next is definitely going to have pretty big shoes to fill.”
Weaver — the Thunder’s vice president of basketball operations for the last seven seasons — bridged the gap between executive and player better than any high-ranking front-office member in the Thunder’s history. It’s why so many players who’ve come through Oklahoma City were overjoyed when Weaver was named the general manager of the Detroit Pistons on June 18. When Thunder guard Chris Paul picked up his phone and saw Weaver was hired in Detroit, he called and congratulated him. Even before Weaver was hired — when there were reports Weaver was in the running for the Detroit GM job — Paul called then, too.
Tim Bontemps: Ben Simmons says he trusts the NBA and trusts older veterans like Chris Paul and LeBron James for putting the players in the best possible position to be healthy in Orlando. Says he feels he has a responsibility to play, though has no issue with anyone who decides not to play.
Paul shared details on that night in what was the catalyst for the domino effect that before the night ended would lead to the NBA season suspension. Like many of the fan base, Richardson and Miles were watching and noted seeing Paul approach Joe Ingles at center court to ask where Rudy (Gobert) was. Even after nearly four months, the events of March 11th remain confounding for Paul who explained his feelings at the moment. It was crazy, and I tell you a little bit about it, but to tell you the truth it’s crazy man I’m doing a documentary about it, like a movie, like a movie about a sports stop with Antoine Fuqua and Brian Grazer. We doing a whole thing about that like getting perspectives from athletes of what happened.Man, listen, I ain’t never seen nothing like it. Never seen nothing like it.
“We’ve been working with (NBPA Executive Director) Michele [Roberts], Chris [Paul] and Andre [Iguodala] and several other players on a shared goal that the season restart leads to collective action towards combating systematic racism and promoting social justice,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said last Friday in a conference call with reporters. “This includes strategies to increase Black representation in all positions across the NBA and its teams, ensure greater inclusion of Black-operated businesses across NBA business activities, and the formation of an NBA foundation to expand educational and economic development opportunities across the Black community.”
The personalized statements on jerseys are part of a long list of social justice messages the players plan to make through the remainder of the season, which restarts July 30 in Orlando, Florida. The NBA and the NBPA announced an agreement on Wednesday to continue to discuss fighting systemic racism and to make it one of the main focuses of the restart. Personalized jerseys could say such things as “Black Lives Matter” or “I Can’t Breathe,” bring light to a social or charitable cause or even display the names of George Floyd or Breonna Taylor, who were killed by police in recent months. “We’re just trying to continue to shed light on the different social justice issues that guys around our league continue to talk about day in and day out,” Paul told The Undefeated. “People are saying that social justice will be off of everybody’s mind in Orlando. With these jerseys, it doesn’t go away.”
Paul said he has talked to numerous players, including some who are not Black, who support the jersey idea. He said players will not be forced and pressured to wear jerseys with social justice messages. There will also be suggestions offered to players looking for a cause to support. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Friday in a media conference call that the league “has work to do” to make progress in hiring African Americans in notable roles, and the need for diversity was discussed at a recent board of governors meeting. The NBA was made up of 74.9% Black players during the 2018-19 season, according to the 2019 NBA Complete Racial and Gender Report Card released last week by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports (TIDES) at the University of Central Florida.
With the NBA resuming the season in the middle of a novel coronavirus pandemic and protests on racial inequality, the league plans to do much more than determine its champion. “It’s never a shut up and dribble situation,” Chris Paul, the Oklahoma City Thunder guard and NBA players union president, said Friday in a conference call. “You’re going to continue to hear us.”
“You show me a league where everybody has the same views,” Paul said. “We have 450 players. It’s always hard to be on the same page. But one thing about it is we learned to communicate better. None of us are perfect. But what we’re learning is when we communicate with each other. The guys that choose to go play, we support those. And we support those that don’t go play.”
With the NBA resuming the season in the middle of a novel coronavirus pandemic and protests on racial inequality, the league plans to do much more than determine its champion. “It’s never a shut up and dribble situation,” Chris Paul, the Oklahoma City Thunder guard and NBA players union president, said Friday in a conference call. “You’re going to continue to hear us.”
“You show me a league where everybody has the same views,” Paul said. “We have 450 players. It’s always hard to be on the same page. But one thing about it is we learned to communicate better. None of us are perfect. But what we’re learning is when we communicate with each other. The guys that choose to go play, we support those. And we support those that don’t go play.”
Dwyane Wade: Give credit to @Michele Roberts @Chris Paul & Adam Silver. There’s been a lot of long late hours on the phone about getting this season back on & getting it right. Everyone won’t agree but there’s no bigger platform than the @nba to shine light on the individuals that are doing the work.
Kyle Goon: Chris Paul on the NBPA’s and players’ continuing commitment to voice opinions and stump for social change: “It’s never a shut up and dribble situation. You’re gonna continue to hear us.”
Jared Weiss: Chris Paul says that while the health conversation has been on COVID and injuries, “mental health is the thing a lot of players think of first.” Goes on to praise Kevin Love and DeMar DeRozan for breaking the ice on enabling players to speak on this.
Jared Weiss: Chris Paul says the NBPA has agreed on a number of initiatives on social justice issues when asked if he expects any further division on the matter within the players group.
Kyle Goon: Chris Paul said the events of recent weeks have led to a lot of hard conversations between players and team governors about social and political issues: “(Players) want to know how someone feels, especially if we’re putting their jersey on.”
Yesterday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum, NBA Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer Oris Stuart and other league officials met with NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts, NBPA President Chris Paul, NBPA First Vice President Andre Iguodala and several players to further advance the league’s collective response to the social justice issues in our country. This meeting was part of ongoing discussions between the NBA and the Players Association to address the game’s role in facilitating solutions to the persistent inequities plaguing the Black community.
Dwyane Wade’s got something to cheer about: the reopening of his Wynwood store! He couldn’t be here because of the ‘rona, but he’s still telling Deco about the pop-up. Dwyane Wade: “Yo, I know you guys heard the good news, man!” Dwyane Wade’s The Shop in Pop Up Shop is back in business. The shop was co-founded by D-Wade and celebrity stylist Calyann Barnett, along with NBA star Chris Paul during Art Basel, and it just reopened after being closed for months.
Silver said he has had extensive conversations with NBPA Exec Dir Michele Roberts, NBPA Foundation Exec Dir Sherrie Deans, NBPA President and Thunder G Chris Paul, as well as many other individual NBA players on how to battle systemic racism. “What we talked about and acknowledged to each other is we would probably be most powerful through collective action,” Silver said. He added they are still in the talking stage and that the conversations would not go on for months, but maybe for weeks, on how the league and the players could be most effective.
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Still, it’s telling that only 80-plus players logged on for the call after an invitation was sent to the entire playing body. According to Charania, NBPA president Chris Paul (of the Oklahoma City Thunder) was among those on the call. “We have a responsibility to start making more conscious decisions,” the invitation that was obtained by The Athletic read. “The choices we make not only affect us as individuals, but everyone as a whole. We are fighting together to change the system and stand by one another in solidarity. Especially during these times of civil/social unrest. Because of our competitive nature, there has been an unnecessary division amongst us. In joining together we have the ability to empower one another. We reach out to you because we want all of your voices to be heard.”
Marc Stein: Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony were among the prominent voices on the Kyrie Irving-organized player call tonight, league sources Chris Paul, NBPA president, took part as well
Still, it’s telling that only 80-plus players logged on for the call after an invitation was sent to the entire playing body. According to Charania, NBPA president Chris Paul (of the Oklahoma City Thunder) was among those on the call. “We have a responsibility to start making more conscious decisions,” the invitation that was obtained by The Athletic read. “The choices we make not only affect us as individuals, but everyone as a whole. We are fighting together to change the system and stand by one another in solidarity. Especially during these times of civil/social unrest. Because of our competitive nature, there has been an unnecessary division amongst us. In joining together we have the ability to empower one another. We reach out to you because we want all of your voices to be heard.”
Marc Stein: Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony were among the prominent voices on the Kyrie Irving-organized player call tonight, league sources Chris Paul, NBPA president, took part as well
Chris Paul: #SayHerName ✊🏾
Sources tell The Athletic that a group consisting of 80-plus players — including NBPA Vice President Kyrie Irving, NBPA president Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Donovan Mitchell and Avery Bradley — discussed finding unity and a way to attack a cause amid the nationwide unrest stemming from racial injustice, systematic racism and police brutality as well as what the world continues to face during the coronavirus pandemic.
Irving and Bradley have led the communication efforts of this group. Sources said Irving has been extremely vocal on NBPA calls during the suspension of the season, challenging executive director Michele Roberts and president Chris Paul last Friday about what efforts are being made to align the players and league for sponsorship and endorsement money — or whether it should be solely the players’ responsibility. This was Irving’s way of questioning the norms set forth by the NBPA, sources said.
Looking back, the call itself was much less a discussion on the merits of restarting the season, and much more a Q and A with NBPA executive director Michele Roberts and president Chris Paul on the mechanics and rules expected to govern teams, players and the bubble environment, sources said. So, yes, it surprised several of his NBPA colleagues that Irving — lost to the season with shoulder surgery in March — was simultaneously lending his voice to a different discussion with rank-and-file union members on upending the league’s plans for a 22-team restart at Disney World in Orlando, sources said.
