“Chris Paul Was as Annoying Back Then”: Former LeBron James Teammate Describes How a Rookie CP3 Got on His Nerves

Nithin Joseph | 14/04/2023
"Chris Paul Was as Annoying Back Then": Former LeBron James Teammate Describes How a Rookie CP3 Got on His Nerves

Chris Paul is one of the most popular players in the NBA. The point guard is an 18-year league veteran and made quite a name for himself as the “Point God”. All thanks to his passing ability, ball handling, and high IQ.

Over the course of his career, CP3 has played for a number of different teams. The New Orleans Hornets, the LA Clippers, the Houston Rockets, the OKC Thunder, and most recently, the Phoenix Suns. He’s had a total of 199 teammates all of whom will account for his brilliance.

One such teammate was J.R. Smith, a man he played with in his early years. And, while J.R. does concede that Paul is a superb player, he also revealed how annoying a young CP was.

JR Smith claims Chris Paul was an incredibly annoying teammate

Chris Paul is one of the brightest and most talented players the NBA has ever seen. But, he is also considered to be one of the most annoying. The superstar point guard has as many haters as he does fans in the league. That goes for his fellow players as well.

Superstars like Rajon Rondo, Patrick Beverley, and Blake Griffin have all had notorious fights with him. However, there are times when even his teammates find him annoying. Like when J.R. Smith first met a young CP3 on the New Orleans Hornets and was invited on a cruise.

“He was drafted by New Orleans. I’m at the draft party going crazy. And, sure enough, a week or two later Hurricane Katrina happens. So we got to Oklahoma City. He hits me up and was like, “Yo man! Me and my family are going on this cruise. You wanna come?”, and I’m like, “Yeah! Why not?”. I’m 19, he’s 19-20 and I thought yeah. I go on this family cruise and the whole time, he won’t stop talking. He won’t stop talking about everything. I’m like, “Oh my god! I hope he’s not really like this!”. Just so happens, we live across the street from each other in Oklahoma City. So he’s driving me to practice every day…and sure enough, talking, talking, talking…on the plane talking, talking, talking…on the bus, talking, talking, talking. I’m like “Dude! Do you ever chill out?”. But, I love CP man.”

Things didn’t just stop there though. J.R. also recalled having to deal with his attitude. Something that resulted in a lot of verbal arguments, which he knew stemmed from Paul’s competitiveness. A point that even JJ Redick agrees upon. At the end of the day, he’s focused on one thing, winning.

CP3 will be solely focused on winning a championship before the end of his career

Chris Paul has won almost everything the NBA has to offer. The one thing that has eluded him for quite some time is an NBA Championship. He came close in 2021, but now, with the inclusion of Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns’ roster, The Point God might be able to get over the hump.

As we all know, winning a championship is tough. Hopefully, the Phoenix Suns have what it takes, and CP3 can finally get a ring for his efforts.

Post Edited By: Amulya Shekhar
Chris Paul JR Smith

About the author

Nithin Joseph

Nithin is a content writer at The SportsRush. Like his favorite athlete Kobe Bryant, the company has helped Nithin elevate his writing skills to a whole new level, especially as an NBA content writer. With over 1500 articles to his name, Nithin's love for the sport knows no bounds. And, as he continues to watch the sport on a daily basis, he hopes his fascination with the NBA, especially the Miami Heat will inspire more and more readers to give the sport a chance. Perhaps, one day making basketball in India as big as it is in the United States.

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