Having an elite-caliber player as president has paid its dividends for the National Basketball Players Association, as Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Chris Paul has worked tirelessly to help his fellow players see the court again this season.

The Thunder star has been busy with meetings and getting input from all players, making sure this is a group decision:

“I could literally talk about [restart plans] all day with a passion and excitement of knowing that, when a conversation does happen with the league or with Adam, there's no pressure of saying like, ‘This is what I want to do,'” Paul told ESPN's Royce Young.

“Because you know this is what we have decided.”

Paul has ruffled a few feathers on the court because of his competitiveness, but it's those same traits that have made him a relentless pursuer of a pathway to return. CP3 has been able to get other superstars like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, among others, on conference calls, which has made meetings more productive:

“Our meetings are much more engaged now. That's because of Chris,” said the NBPA's executive director Michele Roberts. “He won't allow an issue to be presented and then not discussed.”

Paul has made a career out of finding his teammates, passing the ball and making plays. That same skill set has translated into his role as the president of the players' union:

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“I frequently joke about this, he's obviously a point guard and his claim to fame in terms of skill set is his ability to read the room, read the floor and pass the ball,” said Roberts. “He does that in meetings too.

“If Chris sees a player who has not said much, he'll ask, ‘John, what do you think about this? Come on, weigh in.' That's what he does. It's a delight.”

Unlike MLB, which has seen problems coming to an agreement to return to the diamond, the NBA is progressing slowly but surely on a pathway to return.

Paul has a lot to do with that, as a voice the players trust and believe in, serving as a strong intermediary between his fellow players and the league.