Chris Paul Breaks Silence On His Role With Warriors

Chris Paul spoke with NBA reporters on July 9 in Las Vegas for the first time as an official member of the Golden State Warriors and the future Hall of Famer said he hasn’t spoken to the organization or head coach Steve Kerr about the intricacies of his new role.

There has been speculation that Paul could come off the bench for the Warriors, something he’s never done in his NBA career.

“At the end of the day, it’s basketball,” Paul said, via ESPN. “I’m going into a situation with a bunch of guys who’ve been playing together for a long time. I’m not as worried about it as everybody else is. … We’ll figure all of that stuff out at camp. You don’t have the answers right now. We’ll practice, and I’m sure there will be things I’ve got to learn about them, they’ve got to learn about me, but that’s the case with any team.”

Paul averaged 13.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists last season for the Phoenix Suns while shooting 44.0% from the floor, 37.5% from 3 and 83.1% from the free-throw line. CP3 and Stephen Curry worked out together on July 9 in Las Vegas for the first time since 2009.

“There are times when you get a chance to reflect,” Paul said. “Even working out today, we were laughing. … It’s a great opportunity and a blessing to be doing this at our age, because he ain’t young, either.”

It’s going to be strange to see Paul play for the Warriors. In 2018, Paul’s fake laugh at Kerr went viral on social media. Most recently, Curry told Paul, “This ain’t 2014 no more” during a matchup against the Suns in March.

However, Paul is looking forward to being on the other side of his rivalry with the Warriors.

“This is a sport,” Paul said. “This is fun. It’s a job, but I get to play basketball every day and say that’s my way of life. … I wouldn’t spend this time training and playing and hooping, the time away from my family if I didn’t love it the way I do. That’s not going to change.”