Chris Paul, for all his idiosyncrasies and competitiveness, may not be the most liked guy in NBA history, but he sure has enamored himself to fans recently. Now that he's finally advanced to his first NBA Finals, he's getting the respect he deserves.

Even if Paul cut them to shreds in Game 6 on Wednesday, Los Angeles Clippers coach Ty Lue couldn't help but gush about CP3 and the Phoenix Suns after the contest. Lue acknowledged Paul's greatness and also tipped his hat to fast-rising star Devin Booker (via ESPN).

“Phoenix did a hell of a job. CP was fantastic. Booker is a star at a young age and they have a good foundation. They played a hell of a series and go from there.”

Lue has always been a stand-up guy and praising Paul and Booker, the two guys who just ended their season isn't easy to do after a loss. But the Clippers tactician did, showing respect is still the most important thing in competition. He also didn't offer any excuses.

“I thought we ran out of gas. For that first half, we made a lot of mistakes mentally.”

The 36-year-old Paul had a performance for the ages, scoring 41 points on 16-of-24 shooting from the field. Booker didn't shoot as well, but he did contribute 22 points to support his mentor.

The moment Chris Paul was traded to the Suns last year, he and Devin Booker immediately went to work and developed a bond. Now, it's quite apparent they're reaping the fruits of their dedication.