Chris Paul says he had to prove himself to his new Oklahoma City Thunder teammates following his trade from the Houston Rockets.
Paul talked about his mindset heading into his first season with the Thunder with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on All The Smoke:
“The thing as a hooper is confidence…so when I went to Oklahoma, I had already started my training, so when the trade happened, I wasn’t tripping… I was more pissed about being away from the family,” Chris Paul said.
“When I got to Oklahoma, I had to prove myself…Whether that’s the case or not, if the media puts you out there as somewhat washed, then people start to think that. I had to prove myself to my Thunder teammates, to my coaches, to everybody in the organization. I had to show that I could stay healthy. I had to prove all this stuff.”
Paul made the All-Star team this season for the first time since 2016, so it's safe to say the Thunder didn't trade for a “washed up” Chris Paul.
Before the season was suspended due to COVID-19, Paul was averaging 17.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.8 assists for the Thunder. The 34-year-old was also shooting 48.9 percent from the field, 36.2 percent from beyond the arc and 90.0 percent from the free-throw line.
The Thunder were in fifth place before Adam Silver was forced to shut play down following Rudy Gobert's positive COVID-19 test.
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