Q&A: Chris Paul

Courtesy of Matt Moore

MM: Hey, thanks for taking the time. Speaking of, I was at your event last year in New Orleans for your after-school program, and you were already exhausted, but you still did so much that weekend. You're doing commercials, you're on long road trips, and yet you always find times for initiatives like this with Kids Foot Locker. What is it about these opportunities that get you to give up your time the way you do?

Chris Paul: If you look at it, 95% of the things I do are all around kids. Part of it is I look at myself as a big kid. I'm so blessed and fortunate to be in the situation that I'm in. I think about the things that I've had the opportunity do for the kids around the country, to see these kids and interact with them, and I wish I could have been that kid.

Lot of times kids and young adults just want to know that people car about them. The most valuable thing we have is time. and for me to show kids that you truly care about hem and not just send a check, that really means something, that can make an impact.

MM: The new Kids Foot Locker ad is hilarious, and I think it's great you've got your family there with you. I have a friend and he had this video of his daughter; it went viral and now he and his wife decided to peel back on public stuff because there's so much that goes along with it. Have you and your wife talked about how much you want to put CPJR out in public?

CP3: We've actually talked about it. Believe it or not, he's been offered to do other things in front of the camera that we've actually said no to. The things that he's done have been cool because he's been with me. You think about how much we travel or how many times you are doing commercials or on set. Who better for him to be with me for that?

MM: I have to ask, what'd you want to be when you were a kid?

CP3: A fireman. No, just a basketball player. Or an NFL player. My dad was a sports junkie, and that had a big impact on me.

MM: So you and the team had kind of a slow start, but you've really gotten it going, ever since you started that road trip. What was it that kind of turned your season around?

CP3: When we got on the road, we stopped thinking as much. We had a chance to come together. When you're on the road it's all that you have, your teammates. You're around each othe all the time. I think we got a chance to pull together to find our identity.

MM: In years past, you've talked about having to pace yourself physically as you've gotten older. Is that something that's tough to manage, with your competitiveness?

CP3: I don't remember saying that; I may have said that right after an injury. I only know one way to play, and that's hard. As I've gotten older, I've realized how to take better care of my body. Before the game, after the game, days off. That's what comes with more years in this league. You understand those things better and everything on the court gets easier.

MM: Has everything that's gone on lately, the media atmosphere, has it been difficult emotionally in terms of balancing being a father, a leader in the African-American community, and an athlete?

CP3: I wouldn't say it's been difficult as far as that role goes, just because I'm proud to be an AFrican American father, and I love my kids to death.

I would just say this. There are a lot of amazing mothers and father out here being amazing parents who don't get recognized. For me ever since I was a kid, you always hear about single mothers raising their kids. You never hear about single father raising those kids. I tip my hat to those guys because that's something I can't even imagine.