To be voted as the NBA Players Association (NBPA) president and then re-elected again is no joke. It means your fellow NBA players have a lot of faith and respect for you. Considering that the Houston Rocket’s Chris Paul is arguably the best point guard in the league, it goes without saying guys like Stephen Curry might look up to him.
In fact, some even look up to him as a mentor. The Dallas Mavericks’ Dennis Smith Jr. considers him as one, and this extends to college basketball where the Villanova Wildcats’ Jalen Brunson credits his work on the diminutive guard’s underrated post-up game.
And then there’s the Golden State Warrior’s Stephen Curry.
Speaking with ESPN’s Chris Haynes after a scrimmage, Curry reveals that he worked out with Paul prior to being selected in the 2009 NBA Draft seeing as they are both North Carolina natives.
“He was a great mentor when it came to understanding how a guy on his level prepared over the summer for an NBA season. How disciplined he was, his work ethic, and I got to see that firsthand after summer league through the beginning of the season. And obviously we got a Carolina connection.”
The 6-foot-3 assassin added that Paul’s wealth of knowledge and experience is exactly what the doctor ordered for an incoming rookie.
“He demonstrated firsthand what it takes to be great in this league, and it was a nice little eye-opener for me that summer. Work out with him, compete against him and take that confidence I had into my rookie year [to] get off on a good foot.”
Of note: Kenyon Martin recently spoke against the idea of Chris Paul being anything other than a shady individual.
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