Chris Paul life and biography

Chris Paul (also known as: Christopher Emmanuel Paul) born May 6, 1985 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States is an American professional basketball player.


New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul, who at age 23 finished second in the balloting for Most Valuable Player in the National Basketball Association in 2007-08, will compete for the United States in the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China, in August of 2008. Paul led the upstart Hornets to a 56-26 record and the Southwest Division regular-season championship. He also played in his first NBA All-Star game.

Honored Grandfather with 61 Points

Paul, born Christopher Emmanuel Paul in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was a star at suburban West Forsyth High School in 2002-03, leading the Titans to a 27-3 record and the Class 4-A Eastern Regional Final. As a senior, he scored 61 points in a game against Parkland to honor his grandfather, Nathaniel Jones, 61, who had been murdered just days earlier. After scoring the 61 points, Paul intentionally missed a free throw and took himself out of the game even though he had a chance at the state high school scoring record.

He attended Wake Forest University in his hometown and led the Demon Deacons to two National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament appearances and one visit to the Sweet 16. In 2003-04, he was named Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Rookie of the Year, and the national freshman of the year by College Insider, theSporting News, Basketball Times and broadcaster Dick Vitale. He spent two years at the school and ranks seventh lifetime among Deacons in assists (395) and steals (160). He left after his sophomore year to join New Orleans, which selected him in the first round, fourth overall, in the 2005 NBA draft.

In his first season, 2005-06, the 6-foot, 175-pound Paul averaged 16.1 points, 7.8 assists and 2.24 steals per game and was named Rookie of the Year. The man known as "CJ" was just getting warmed up. In his second season, he averaged 17.3 points, 8.9 assists, and 1.84 steals over 64 games, all of which he started. He led the team with total points, steals and assists that season. He missed 18 games due to injuries, during which the team went 8-10.

Led Hornets to First Place

In the 2007-08 season, Paul led the Hornets to a franchise-record 56 regular season wins, the Southwest Division title, and the second round of the playoffs. He led the team in scoring (21.1 points) and the league in assists (11.6) and steals (2.7). Paul means box office. In July of 2008, team president Hugh Weber told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that the Hornets have 5,000 new season-ticket holders, bringing their total to nearly 10,000, a figure they haven't reached since moving from Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2002.

Befitting a contemporary NBA star, Paul has his own Web site, a stylized personal logo, a signature shoe with a bowling pin stitched on the ankle (bowling is his favorite pastime), and a new three-year contract extension worth an estimated $68 million. In the first year of the deal in 2009-10, Paul will earn $15 million. That would rise to $23 million in the fourth, or option year. "He's not only the best point guard in the league and an asset to our team, but also to our New Orleans community and the entire state of Louisiana," club owner George Shinn told the Times-Picayune.

It's not all about the money, though. In spring 2008, he and other NBA stars, including Paul Pierce of the champion Boston Celtics and Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, joined with Habitat for Humanity to rebuild parts of New Orleans ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. "I come to help out, do a little bit, just show up," he told Harvey Araton of the New York Times.

Looks Forward to Summer Games

In August, he will join Bryant, LeBron James, and other NBA stars in China to play in the Summer Games. He was a reserve on the 2004 team that won a bronze medal in Athens, Greece. "It has always been a dream of mine to play in the Olympics, and representing my country is the ultimate honor,'' Paul said in a statement. "Chris probably would have been on the team last summer, but he was hurt coming off an operation," Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski told the Times-Picayune. "He still showed up, spent a little time with us. He really had an almost-MVP season. I've loved Chris since he played at Wake (Forest), and he's a much better player. He was a good player two years ago, but he's a much better player now."


AWARDS

Rookie of the Year. Atlantic Coast Conference, 2004; Rookie of the Year, National Basketball Association, 2005-06; NBA Western Conference All-Star, 2008.

Read more