Birthdate: May 6, 1985
Birthplace: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Basketball players such as Chris Paul of the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets only come around once every 10 years. Someday, Chris might go down as one of the best point guards ever!
Chris Paul - Overcoming Tragedy
Chris Paul grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina where he excelled at basketball as a child. Although he lists Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan as his favorite athletes growing up, it's his grandpa that he calls his hero. When Chris was a high school senior, his grandpa was robbed, then beaten to death not far from Chris' home. Days later, when Chris had to take the court, he scored 61 points in honor of his late grandpa, who was 61 years old. He scored his 61st point on the first of two free throws. For the second free throw, he missed intentionally, then broke down in tears.Chris Paul - College Star
After a stellar high school career at West Forsyth High School, Chris had options to attend any college in the country. He opted to stay close to home and star at Wake Forest University. As a freshman, Chris was named the ACC Rookie of the Year. The following year, Chris went on to average 15 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists per game for Wake Forest. Chris Paul was named a First Team All American that year. After his sophomore season, Chris declared for the NBA Draft where he was chosen fourth overall by the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets.Chris Paul - NBA Rising Star
In his first season, Chris led the Hornets to a 38-44 record, which was a 20-win improvement from the year before. Chris averaged 16.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 2.24 steals per game as a rookie. At barely six feet tall, Chris amazingly had two triple doubles on the year! He went on to win Rookie of the Year honors and established himself as one of the best young point guards in the game. In the summer of 2006, Chris played in the World Basketball Championships in Japan as a member of the US National Team that won a bronze medal.Chris Paul - Did U Know?
Chris Paul Says...
"I think a lot of times I just think of where I came from, you know, who I’m playing for. During the game, you have your name on the back of your jersey, your last name. And it not only represents you, it represents your classmates, your family, your friends and things like that. And I think about all the people who told me when I was younger that I wouldn’t be able to do this."Related Stories:
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