Chris Paul put together an impressive performance during the first round of the 2020 NBA playoffs. Paul did his best to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder past the Houston Rockets in the first round. Although the Thunder lost in seven games, Paul’s performance was remarkable.
During the NBA bubble, Paul had a different pair of shoes in every game, and that’s because he honored different HBCUs.
Chris Paul has shown his leadership skills with the Oklahoma City Thunder
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When Paul joined the Thunder, some people didn’t think they would make the playoffs since they lost Russell Westbrook. There were questions as to whether Paul was able to lead the team at his age. One thing about Paul is that no matter how old he is, he’s going to go out there and lead his team, and he’s done just that.
Paul has had a very productive season with the Thunder. He was named All-Star for the first time since 2016, and by the end of the season the Thunder were one of the best teams in the league. This was a Thunder team with a lot of young talent and they needed that veteran leadership when Westbrook left. Paul was the perfect player for the Thunder.
Younger players on the Thunder team, such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, have asked Paul for a lot of advice. With the experience Paul has had in the league, he knows what it takes to be successful in the NBA. Paul is like a second coach out there on the floor; is how much knowledge of the game he has. He understands where certain players need to be on the pitch and, as a point guard, knows how to control the game. Paul finished the regular season averaging 17.6 points, 6.7 assists and five rebounds.
Chris Paul gave an outstanding performance during the playoffs
The Thunder faced the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. Paul and the Thunder gave it all they had, and things didn’t go well when they went down 2-0 to start the series. Many thought the series was over then, but Paul knew the Thunder still had a chance. The Thunder won the next two games to tie the series to two. Under 3-2, the Thunder needed a win to force a match 7.
Paul stepped forward in Game 6, finishing with 28 points to take the Thunder to a 104-100 win and force that final match of the series. The Thunder ended up losing Game 7, but Paul proved how good he is as a leader during that series.
Chris Paul shows his support for HBCUs during the bubble
Paul is a huge supporter of HBCU and made it known during the NBA bubble. He is originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, an area where HBCUs are important. Paul decided to wear shoes with several HBCUs on them in support of black schools.
During the bubble, Paul wore 20 different pairs of shoes representing an HBCU school. Social media quickly picked up on what Paul was doing with his shoes and his support for HBCUs didn’t go unnoticed.
