Chris Paul is having a renaissance in Oklahoma City.
The 14-year vet has not only helped lead a young Thunder squad to an all but certain postseason appearance, he’s also revitalized his body and career during his first season in OKC.
His teammate, Dennis Schroder, admitted that it’s a “different vibe” this season with CP3 leading the team, something Paul didn’t really get to do during his two seasons down in Houston.
Although there were multiple reports indicating that Paul didn’t have the best relationship with James Harden or Mike D’Antoni, Paul spoke to Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks in the latest episode of Take It There and insists there is no lingering resentment between him and his former Rockets teammates.
“When I played with the Clippers… I still talk to [DeAndre Jordan] about every day, I talk to JJ Redick all the time, just about all the guys that I’ve played with there,” said Paul as he moved onto the Rockets. “I still talk to Tuck and all these guys. Eric Gordon and these guys.”
Tuck, of course, referring to PJ Tucker, who Paul advocated for during All-Star Weekend. He called Tucker the “unsung hero of the NBA” and said that Tucker deserves a contract extension.
Clearly, the two are still on friendly terms.
As for Paul’s relationship with the Rockets management, the veteran point guard admitted that he “wasn’t happy about how stuff went down”.
“I know it’s a business. You gotta go what you gotta do. But we’re adults, we can communicate. I had just had a conversation with [Morey] just a few days before that and he was like ‘we ain’t gonna trade you to Oklahoma.’ He asked me ‘do you want to go there?’ and I said ‘no, not at this point of my career.’ He said ‘alright, I won’t trade you there because you chose to come to us from L.A. That was that. But now, he don’t owe me nothing.”
Paul may not have wanted to come to Oklahoma City in the beginning, but he told Maria Taylor ahead of the All-Star Game that’s he’s “feeling refreshed” in OKC.
His numbers certainly reflect that.
He’s averaging 17.5 points per game, up from 15.6 a year ago. Although his assists are down, his rebounding and shooting percentage are also up and contributed to his 10th All-Star selection, his first since the 2015-16 season.
