Chris Paul Reveals Why He Chose To Stay In Phoenix: "The Culture Is Really Something I Fell In Love With..."

As a free agent this past summer, NBA veteran Chris Paul could have gone pretty much anywhere.

After proving his worth once again as a leader and elite playmaker, any team in the NBA would have welcomed him with open arms.

But, in the end, CP3 did not choose to don the Purple and Gold and play with his best friend in L.A. He did not choose to chase the fame and glory in New York. Instead, he stayed right where he was, signing a new deal with Phoenix that will likely keep him with the franchise until the end of his career.

Recently, the veteran guard sat down with reporters to talk about his decision to re-sign and how he knew that Phoenix was the right place for him to continue his journey.

(via TalkBasket)

“It was exciting, as long as I played in the league — to finally get an opportunity to go get a taste of what NBA Finals was like. It was big for myself, my whole team, my coaching staff and especially the Suns organization.

My family is in L.A. [Los Angeles], so being close to them, obviously, was a big part of the decision. But the biggest part is basketball. I love to play basketball [and] we have such a great family environment here in Phoenix. From all the guys on the team to the coaching staff, our culture is something that I really fell in love with and I’m happy to be here.”

With Deandre Ayton, Chris Paul, and Devin Booker, the Suns have a core that provides a little bit of everything. Together, the three led Phoenix to the Finals for the first time in years, and for only the third time in the franchise's history.

Paul, who turned 36 in May, was facing many doubts about his effectiveness at this point in his career. Naturally, after averaging 16.4 points and 8.9 assists per game last campaign, much of those doubts got put to rest.

Going forward, the hope is that the Suns can succeed where they failed a year ago and bring home the Championship.

Paul and the crew certainly have their work cut out for them, but it'd be unwise to count them out completely.