Chris Paul wants NBA championship ring
Fred Jeter | 7/15/2021, 6 p.m.
While it would seem he has it all, Chris Paul has a conspicuously empty space in his jewelry box.
In his 16th season, the NBA point guard extraordinaire, who is dubbed the “Point God,” is still hunting for his first NBA championship ring.
“Bling” is about all that’s missing from CP3’s glittery résumé, and that could change soon.
In his first season with the Phoenix Suns, the 36-year-old native of Winston- Salem, N.C., has helped the Suns to within a few jump shots of their first—and his first—NBA crown.
There won’t be any premature celebrations.
“I do a pretty good job of staying in the moment,” he told NBC Sports following the Suns’ Game 2 victory July 8 over the Milwaukee Bucks. “So for me, I don’t get too high. I don’t get too low. I stay even keel.”
Paul is showing no signs of decline despite having played some 1,090 NBA regular season games and 125 playoff contests.
The 6-footer had 32 points and nine rebounds in the Suns’ victory in Game 1, and 23 points and eight assists in the Game 2 win. Despite Paul’s 19 points and nine rebounds, the Suns lost to Milwaukee 120-110 in Game 3 last Sunday.
Paul’s achievements (minus a ring) take a back seat to few. Here is a sampling:
• He was a consensus All-American at Wake Forest University before entering NBA after two college seasons.
• Two-time Olympic gold medalist
• 11-time NBA All-Star
• 10-time All-NBA
• Nine-time NBA All-Defensive
• 2006 NBA Rookie of the Year
• 2021-22 salary of $41.36 million
• Led the NBA in assists four times and in steals six times
• Career NBAaverages of 18.3 points and 9.4 assists for the regular season and 20.7 points and 8.3 assists in the playoffs.
CP3 is among the versatile athlete/actors seen on the floor and during TV commercials. He has endorsements from Air Jordan and State Farm and has a regular TV comedy gig with “Jake from State Farm.”
He’s not the only jump shooter in his fam- ily. Paul’s older brother, Charles “C.J.” Paul, played basketball for Hampton University and University of South Carolina-Upstate and now serves as CP3’s manager.
Paul travels in fast company. Among his best friends is LeBron James, who was a groomsman in Paul’s 2011 wedding to Jada Crawley.
James (@kingjames) and Paul (@cp3) are very close and communicate regularly on Twitter. Following the Suns’ Game 1 win in the NBA Finals, James tweeted, “One down. three to go.”
After Game 2, James added, “Two down. two to go.”
Paul ranks with the greatest point guards in NBA history, right up there with Bob Cousy, Magic Johnson, Steph Curry, Isiah Thomas, Oscar Robertson and Walt Frazier.
The difference between Paul and those others is that they have rings and he doesn’t.
There’s still time. Paul and the Suns haven’t set yet.