Oklahoma City Thunder veteran point guard Chris Paul was one of the participants in Sunday night's epic All-Star Game showdown. The 34-year-old made his tenth appearance in this esteemed spectacle, but in his mind and in his heart, Paul knew that something was missing.
Paul was part of Team LeBron, who edged out Team Giannis for a tightly-contested 157-155 victory. After the high-octane ballgame, Paul dialed it back a bit, sending out a sentimental tweet for his long-time buddy Kobe Bryant.
Love and Miss you Bean!! Was the first time I’ve played in the All-Star game without you. But one thing WE ALWAYS did was COMPETE!!! Hope we didn’t let you down!! 🙏🏾 #MambaMentality #Mambacita #ASW2020 pic.twitter.com/fwXMcK6t3p
— Chris Paul (@CP3) February 17, 2020
Throughout All-Star weekend, there was no shortage of tributes for Kobe Bryant, whose recent untimely passing left the entire sporting world in shock. Nonetheless, it seems that these messages from Kobe's compatriots and competitors still really hit the spot, regardless of how simple and straightforward they may be.
With Mamba Mentality on his mind, Paul put forth an outstanding performance for Team LeBron. The 6-foot-1 point guard — who made a triumphant return to the All-Star squad following a three-season hiatus — finished with 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting, along with seven 3-pointers, two rebounds, and six assists in just 26 minutes off the bench.
Paul is also the owner of one of the most awesome highlight-reel plays on the evening. He has topped the league in assists on four separate occasions, and there is no doubt that he will go down in history as one of the best passers this game has ever seen. Paul has taken part in some of the most unforgettable alley-oop plays we've ever seen (who could forget about that DeAndre Jordan oop that almost ended Brandon Knight's career?), but for him to be on the receiving end is an absolute rarity. CP3 made this one count, though, soaring up high for what was one of the best moments of the game.
Father Time may be catching up with Paul, but he certainly showed us tonight that he can still kick it with the best of them.
Follow Us
Subscribe