It’s as tremendous as it sounds. Chris Paul started as a substitute in the Warriors’ game against Houston last night for the first time in his career, which is currently in his 19th season.
Golden State won 95-106 on the Rockets’ court, but the most notable thing was that the veteran point guard, after 1,365 games in his NBA career (including regular season and playoffs) starting as a starter, began a game sitting and watching as five of His teammates opened the night from the floor.
According to data collected by ESPN, this is the largest number of matches that a player has had as a starter since the beginning of his career before starting one from the bench. This is how CP3 himself explained his feelings.
«I focus on everything I have to do to help our team win. So, if that means this, or if it means not finishing some games or things like that… You know, if you have the opportunity to play long enough in your career, there are things that are going to change, there are things that are going to be different and I … I’m still here,” he comments.
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On a strange night for him, Paul ended up playing 27 minutes to finish with 8 points (3 of 8 on field goals), 7 assists, 5 rebounds and 1 steal, numbers that helped the San Francisco team have a +22 with him on the track. Steve Kerr, coach of the Californians, thanked his player for his willingness to follow instructions.
«It’s huge the way Chris has accepted everything. He just nodded his head and said, ‘Let’s go get them.’ “When a veteran, a great player or an All-Star shows that kind of sacrifice, it just sets the tone for the entire team.”
Can anyone beat CP3?
Complicated, but possible. With Chris Paul’s mark closed, the next in contention is Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks, who to date has 833 consecutive starts since his NBA debut in the 2012-13 season. Right behind the Wisconsin point guard is Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks with 748 consecutive games as a starter. For anyone to beat Paul he would have to play several more seasons.
(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
2023-10-30 07:00:00
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