Hornets G Paul making trip to China
July 30, 2009
NEW ORLEANS (AP)—Chris Paul(notes) was so taken by basketball’s popularity inChina during the Beijing Olympics that he’s adding a Chinese flair to hissignature shoe and making a return trip for the first time since receiving hisgold medal.
Paul said he felt like a member of the Beatles while touring the countrywith Team USA last summer and that he continues to be amazed at China’s passionfor the sport.
“When you’re engulfed in something like that, I’m just taking it all in,realizing that it’s a dream to be able to travel to China and people want to seeyou play, they want to know what you’re doing,” Paul began. “It’s stillsomething I can’t totally grasp.”
Paul’s second trip back to the Far East in as many years will be among thehighlights of a busy offseason that saw him become a father, go back to collegeand add a little bulk to his physique.
The Hornets’ All-Star point guard and 2008 Olympic gold medal winner willarrive in Tianjin on Aug. 2 and move on to Guangzhou on Aug. 3-4, hostingbasketball clinics and dedicating an outdoor court on the grounds of a Guangzhouschool.
The trip will include the launch of the Jordan CP3 II China Editionbasketball shoe, which will be decorated with Chinese characters symbolic ofPaul’s life, such as the year he was born (1985), and the No. 61, which relatesto Paul scoring 61 points in a high-school game to honor his 61-year-old slaingrandfather. It also will include the No. 106, a nod to his NBA record forconsecutive games with a steal.
Though the shoe will be sold in the United States, Paul said it only makessense to also market it in China. He took in some youth-level basketball gameslast year and came away impressed.
“Man, they can really play. That’s the thing,” Paul said. “I’m excitedabout going back to see some of top point guards over there because you neverknow, these might be some of the guys I’m playing against in the WorldChampionships or even in the Olympics in 2012. … Everyone thinks we know allthe tricks here in the NBA, but you can learn some different things when youtravel because different players are doing different things.”
Paul spoke about his trip on Wednesday before wrapping up a three-daybasketball camp in New Orleans, during which his foundation donated about$55,000 to charities in the New Orleans area.
During breaks at the camp, Paul hovered over a baby carriage, attending tohis 2-month-old son, Christopher Emmanuel Paul II. The NBA star had the childwith Jada Crawley, his girlfriend since college at Wake Forest. Paul said heloves fatherhood and raves about his son’s prodigious appetite and playfulness,and posted a picture on Twitter.
Last weekend, Paul dedicated the second of three public courts he isrefurbishing in New Orleans.
Paul has begun most days this offseason with workouts aimed at improving hisstrength, and his new bulk was evident at his basketball camp. Last season, heoften logged close to 40 minutes a game and was worn out by the playoffs, whenNew Orleans appeared punchless in a lopsided first-round loss to Denver.
Paul estimated that he is now between 10 and 15 pounds heavier than he wasas a rookie in 2005-06.
“It’s to make sure I’m durable for the season, for the amount of minutes Iplay,” he said.
He has spent much of the summer in his hometown of Winston-Salem, N.C.,dining out with relatives and performing more charity work. He also took threesummer classes at Wake Forest, where he played for two seasons. Eventually, heintends to graduate with a degree in religion.
“I’m a Christian. I’m Baptist, and I think a lot of times people tend tobelieve what they believe because that’s what their parents told them,” Paulsaid. “I just wanted to find out more information about other religions, so Icould know why I believe what I believe.”
When the summer traveling is over, Paul looks forward to getting back in thefamiliar confines of New Orleans Arena, where he draws the loudest cheers whenhe is the last starter introduced.
“I really use that as energy to get ready for the game, to know they reallyhave that confidence in me,” Paul said. “I think a lot of times, people arethinking, ‘Man, that’s a lot of pressure.’ But I use it as fuel. I’m extremelygrateful.”
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