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In 2005, the New Orleans Hornets drafted Chris Paul, a guy who would become one of the best point guards of all time. In his over-two-decade-long NBA career, Paul has been named a 12-time All-Star, an 11-time All-NBA selection, won Rookie of the Year, and finished second on the All-Time Assists list. But one thing he never got was the NBA championship.
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Paul was at his peak during his time with the Los Angeles Clippers. And while they had the talent – on paper, at least – to go all the way, they never made it past the second round of the playoffs.
In 2017, Paul was traded to the Houston Rockets, where he got the chance to team up with James Harden. But that also didn’t result in a title, even though they were one win away from dethroning the Golden State Warriors superteam and making the 2018 NBA Finals.
The Rockets sent Paul to the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team in the midst of a rebuilding phase at the time. Paul joined the team to mentor the younger players, but his arrival in Oklahoma got off to an awkward start.
Nobody reached out to Paul
It seemed like Paul was the only one ready to embrace his new situation in Oklahoma City. When he arrived, nobody from the Thunder’s front office reached out to him. After 12 years in the NBA, Paul understood what professionalism looked like, so the lack of communication caught him off guard.
“When I got traded to OKC, nobody called me. The coach didn’t call me for OKC, the GM, Sam Presti, nobody called me. Another day went by and they ain’t called me,” Paul
I asked my agent at the time, and I was like, ‘Why ain’t nobody called me?’ and they were saying, ‘Because they think you gonna get moved somewhere else.'”
At the time, Paul was a very well-known and cherished player, making the lack of communication particularly unusual. Rather than wait around for the situation to resolve itself, he decided to take matters into his own hands and personally call the Thunder GM.
Paul wasn’t concerned with speculation about where he might be traded next. As far as he was concerned, he was a member of the Thunder and wanted to begin building relationships with his new teammates.
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“I called Sam Presti, and I was like, ‘Can you send me some of the guys on the team phone number cause I don’t know about getting moved or whatever, but right now I play for the Thunder. So I need to reach out to these guys,'” he said.
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CP3 was bothered by the fake information
At the time, there seemed to be confusion on all sides about what was actually happening. As rumors circulated on social media, a narrative quickly developed that Paul didn’t want to be in Oklahoma. He was understandably frustrated by the perception, so he decided to address it directly in front of his new teammates.
“Our very first team meeting, what do I do? I stood up in front of my whole team. I said, ‘If y’all wanna know something about me, ask me.’ I was like, ‘I’m not asking to be traded; I’m here,’” he said.
That moment revealed something about Paul’s leadership that often goes unnoticed. It wasn’t a highlight-reel play or a big speech in front of the cameras. He simply addressed the situation head-on and made sure his teammates knew they could trust him.
Paul never won an NBA championship, but his longevity and impact on the game speak for themselves. He built a Hall of Fame career through his playmaking and leadership, qualities he continued to demonstrate even in the quieter moments away from the court.
Related: “Nobody cares” – Chris Paul reveals harsh lesson from his “disrespectful” Clippers exit
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This story was originally published September 9, 2026 at 12:34 AM.