Chris Paul and LeBron James are both from the same high school class. The duo have had some contrasting NBA careers, however.
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Both Paul and James have tasted failure at winning a championship and been criticized for it. As the bigger talent, the spotlight was solely on James, especially after his first 2 Finals losses.
The criticism of CP3 took on real momentum once he left the Pelicans for the Clippers. The Point God had suffered an injury in 2009-10 that had deprived him of some of his breakaway athleticism. Where Paul could once dunk on the likes of DPOY Dwight Howard, he became an under-the-rim player.
That hardly reduced his effectiveness, as he continued to rack up All-Defensive and All-NBA selections. Paul’s most recent nod was just last year. He was named to the All-NBA Second Team for leading the Thunder to the no. 5 seed in the West.
Dwyane Wade praises Chris Paul for his longevity, compares him to LeBron James
Even in Year 16, Paul continues to produce at an All-NBA level. His only real down season was in 2018-19 with the Houston Rockets, when injuries nagged him all year long.
Dwyane Wade took to Twitter to acknowledge CP3’s elite play even at the age of 36:
Facts. What he is doing is unreal as well. https://t.co/CxbEeSBVxx
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) February 20, 2021
D-Wade has the whole scoop on Chris Paul and his effectiveness as an NBA player. As a fellow member of the Banana Boat crew, Wade has nothing but love and respect for a player who was once his championship rival.
Chris Paul has the chance to lead the Phoenix Suns back to the playoffs after a gap of 11 years. The franchise is sitting pretty at 4th spot in the Western Conference standings. With Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton at his side, CP3 is once again leading a spooky team.