The Spurs interim coach reflects on being a part of Paul’s storied career.
SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Spurs‘ Chris Paul has reached many basketball milestones this season. His most recent was on Feb. 21, when the Spurs faced the Pistons in Austin, TX.
In that game, the veteran point guard moved to the second spot on the NBA’s all-time steals list, passing Jason Kidd and behind another all-time point guard, John Stockton.
The 39-year-old has shown no signs of slowing down as he continues to add to his storied basketball career, and Spurs interim head coach Mitch Johnson is honored to be a part of his journey.
“It’s a testament to his longevity and what he’s done and all the milestones and accolades that he’s built up over his career,” he said.
Paul has been what this team needed—a floor general, a player who has fought wars on the court and injected much-needed court knowledge into the young Spurs.
“Like a coach and a friend all in one. He’s like a know it all kind of guy, like you go to him for anything. I can go to him for anything,” Julian Champagnie said. “I feel like he would generally know what answer to give me, but especially on the court.”
Paul’s veteran presence isn’t just about X’s and O’s; it goes beyond that, and the Spurs appreciate it.
“We respect him,” said Champagnie. “We respect him a lot. Obviously, it’s Chris Paul.
Paul isn’t the grumpy veteran surrounded by teammates mostly in their 20s that some might think he’d be after playing the game for so long. The young Spurs have fun with him in the locker room, call him “unc,” and he is a good sport.
“He is as inclusive and humble as someone with some of those accolades,” Johnson said.
On the court, Paul tells his teammates where to be, when to foul, and basically, the little things that could be the difference between a win and a loss.
“You hear his voice like he just ‘go, here, go there, back up, foul here, foul there,” Champagnie said. “It’s just stuff like that, the little things, things that coach says, but we can’t hear coach from the court, but Chris is right there.”
There’s little doubt he’ll be a first-ballot Basketball Hall of Famer whenever he decides to retire. His list of accolades is countless, and he is in the company of a who’s who of NBA legends.
“When you start seeing some of the guys on that (steals) list, it’s (Michael) Jordan, it’s Jay (Jason) Kidd, it’s Steve Nash,” Johnson said. “There are some monster names on that list that he’s ahead of.”
This season, one of the most memorable moments is when the Spurs honored Paul with a custom basketball and plaque for moving up to second all-time in assists.
Mitch gave a rousing speech, mentioning the legends of the hardwood that Paul passed. A moment like that made the Spurs coach pinch himself and be humbled by being a small part of Paul’s career.
“You know, it’s a humbling experience just to be a part of it,” he said.