How Chris Paul’s impact is reflected in the 2026 NBA playoffs
CHRIS PAUL WAS at home in late December, browsing through nearly 20 years of photographs, pausing only briefly to converse with neighbor Mookie Betts as the Los Angeles Dodgers star completed shooting drills with friends on Paul’s indoor basketball court.
Upon returning to his phone’s album, Paul encountered the faces of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Brunson, De’Aaron Fox, Jamal Murray, Trae Young, DeMar DeRozan, Fred VanVleet, CJ McCollum, Malik Monk, Jordan Poole, Coby White, and Jared McCain among the 100 NBA players who have participated in one of Paul’s camps, whether as campers, counselors, or workout participants.
“I always mention that the only way I can recall anything is through my photos,” Paul shared with ESPN. “I feel like I engage in so many activities that the only way I’ll ever remember any of this is by [looking through my photo albums].”
As the NBA’s second all-time leader in assists, requiring a technological aid is understandable. Since 2008, Paul has guided nearly 2,000 players through his elite basketball camp for high schoolers (Paul also organizes other camps and combines), his AAU team (Team CP3), and a leadership program, educating many of today’s top players on various topics, from reading defenses to managing finances and navigating the challenges of NBA life.
The camp has aided professional scouts in identifying point guards like Ja Morant, whose viral dunk with his elbows and head above the rim during the 2018 camp brought him into the spotlight before his breakout sophomore season at Murray State. It even resolved discussions such as the summer of 2016 when future lottery picks Fox and Dennis Smith Jr. — entering their freshman years at Kentucky and NC State, respectively — raced against each other.
Paul’s pursuit of a coveted championship ring concluded when the future Hall of Fame point guard announced his retirement in February after 21 seasons. Although his farewell season with the LA Clippers ended abruptly in the early hours in Atlanta with a tumultuous separation in early December, his influence remains evident throughout this postseason.
There are 31 players on 13 playoff teams connected to Paul through his camp or AAU team, including notable names like Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning Finals MVP who became Paul’s teammate in Oklahoma City during the 2019-20 season, Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, and Boston’s Jayson Tatum, who co-hosted the Nike elite camp with Paul last summer in Las Vegas. Paul has impacted nearly two decades of point guards from Stephen Curry to Donovan Mitchell to rookie Jase Richardson, many of whom maintain contact with him and will utilize lessons learned from Paul during the playoffs.
“That will be something people remember forever,” CJ, Paul’s brother and business partner, told ESPN regarding Paul’s legacy of mentoring some of the finest point guards of this generation. “Chris will stop playing in the NBA after this year, but he will continue to run an AAU program and conduct these camps.
“He will keep influencing and leaving his mark on the next generation.”
ONE PHOTO PAUL is unable to locate on this December day is of Curry from his inaugural CP3 Elite Guard Camp in 2008. Before Curry emerged as a superstar with the Golden State Warriors, the sharpshooter participated in Paul’s first elite guard camp while at Davidson.
The two point guards also trained together the following summer — and even managed to visit Walt Disney World while Paul was on a family vacation in Orlando, Florida — prior to Curry’s rookie season with Golden State in 2009.
Few have experienced the entire Paul journey like Curry, who transitioned from mentee to rival before becoming teammates in Golden State during the 2023-24 season.
“That was the beginning of a relationship that extended into my rookie year and beyond in terms of friendship,” Curry told ESPN about attending Paul’s camp. “He’s just a guy who loves the game, enjoys giving back, and consistently goes out of his way to offer advice or be available.
“He’s made a phenomenal impact on lives.”
Not even Paul’s future Hall of Fame court vision could have predicted in 2008 that Curry would eventually become one of his most significant on-court rivals and greatest hurdles to a championship ring. The two faced off three times in the postseason, with Paul’s Clippers defeating Curry’s Warriors in 2014, but Curry overcoming Paul and the Houston Rockets in both 2018 and 2019. Paul considers the 2018 loss — where Golden State rallied from a 3-2 deficit with the point guard sidelined for Games 6 and 7 due to a hamstring injury — one of the most “devastating” defeats of his career.
The prospect of facing his campers at the next level has never deterred Paul from sharing his knowledge with the younger generation.
“I tell them all the little details of how I steal the ball,” the 12-time All-Star stated. “How I read the pick-and-roll, how I execute this, how I perform that. I demonstrate methods for stealing the ball. Then many of them make it to the NBA, and I attempt to do it to them. They respond, ‘Oh no! No, you taught us this at camp.’
“They understand the sweep-through, they know the jab moves and all those techniques.”
Every camp Paul and his brother, CJ, have conducted includes essential elements such as film sessions, candid Q&A sessions with Paul and other professionals, and hands-on instruction from coaches like longtime Denver Nuggets assistant coach John Beckett and Golden State Valkyries head coach and former Clippers assistant Natalie Nakase.
Curry, widely regarded as one of the most amiable and accessible superstars in sports, still recalls the lasting impact Paul had on him during that very first camp in 2008, which influences how the Warriors superstar aspires to assist future talents.
“Understanding how he approached [his camp] has shaped much of how I run my own camp,” Curry, whose Warriors lost in the play-in tournament Friday, remarked about his SC30 Select basketball camp. “His level of engagement was remarkable. I’ve observed it frequently [with] various athletes, and it’s not a criticism, but there’s a degree of engagement, presence, and energy that an NBA player can bring to that environment that can alter someone’s trajectory.
“Just through conversation, competition, and the chance to play with [Paul] or learn from the best. That’s how I’ve aimed to approach my camps at the Curry Select Camp because that was a significant part of my journey. Gaining knowledge and building confidence through CP’s experiences.”
Eventually, Paul discovers a video of Curry visiting a later camp, working one-on-one with him and participating in some 5-on-5 on YouTube.
“I knew about Steph because we both hailed from North Carolina,” Paul, who grew up in Winston-Salem while Curry was raised in Charlotte, stated. “He could already shoot the ball exceptionally well.”
THE THUNDER CLEARED the visitors’ locker room following a Nov. 17 victory at the Smoothie King Center, but the NBA’s MVP was in no hurry to depart. Gilgeous-Alexander was asked about Paul in the arena where Paul excelled early in his career with the then-New Orleans Hornets, and the MVP could discuss his former teammate indefinitely.
Gilgeous-Alexander did not participate in Paul’s elite camp as a camper, but he did attend once to observe Paul working with emerging point guards.
“It’s truly impressive to see how much he can shape a generation,” Gilgeous-Alexander told ESPN. “For me, growing up, he was the best point guard in the league. … We referred to him as ‘Point God’ during our youth. Numerous rounds of point guards have entered the NBA, and he has simply outlasted them all. He is nothing short of remarkable, impressive, and inspiring.”
Gilgeous-Alexander and Paul were teammates for one season in Oklahoma City, joining the team through separate trades in the summer of 2019. Paul quickly became Gilgeous-Alexander’s mentor, teaching the Thunder’s future star how to manage off-court matters, navigate the weight room, treatment, diet, and maintain peak physical condition.
“More than anything, he really demonstrated to me how to be a professional,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated. “When he plays, he excels at doing every little thing to gain an edge, secure a win, or outmaneuver his opponent. Whether it’s understanding the rules, knowing their plays, or recognizing the game situation, he is always focused on the details that contribute to winning. That’s how he inspired me.”
Gilgeous-Alexander, aiming to guide the Thunder back to the Finals this season after taking a 1-0 first-round series lead against the Phoenix Suns, attributes these lessons to his MVP success last season. The two point guards share a brotherly bond, with Paul attending Game 2 of the Western Conference finals when Gilgeous-Alexander received the MVP trophy. Paul mentions that his son, Chris Paul II, wears No. 2 like Gilgeous-Alexander, and his grandmother stays up to watch the Thunder star play.
“Shai is a significant part of my legacy,” Paul remarked. “But he is also a vital part of my life at this point due to his relationship with my family.”
BRUNSON ATTENDED Paul’s elite camp three times, twice as a high school camper and once while excelling at Villanova.
Paul was acquainted with Brunson through his father, Rick, whose final season of a nine-year playing career coincided with Paul’s first. Years later, Rick accompanied Paul during a summer to assist with workouts. Paul then met Jalen when he was a junior in high school. The 6-foot Paul is drawn to tough and determined point guards of similar stature like the 6-2 Brunson.
“The tenacity in them,” CJ noted regarding the similarities between Paul and Brunson. “I believe Jalen is a smaller guard, and they must possess a bit of grit and toughness.
“Chris feels that if you’re smaller, you need to have that tenacity.”
Brunson has been absorbing Paul’s basketball insights for over a decade. Paul even attended the Final Four in San Antonio in 2018 when Brunson secured the national championship with Villanova.
“He’s one individual from whom I’ve learned a great deal,” Brunson told ESPN. “And as I got to know him and compete against him, I continued to learn a lot. Honestly, it has been a privilege to play against him and learn from him and his Hall of Fame career.”
Some of the lessons he gained from Paul — such as how Brunson remains unhurried — are integral to his success with the New York Knicks.
“Understanding your identity as a player and not allowing anything to rattle you or alter your style, playing at your pace,” said Brunson, whose Knicks are leading 1-0 against the Atlanta Hawks in the first round. “He was consistently reliable in his playing style, competitiveness, and game management. I think that was crucial for my development as a player to learn how to do that. Observing him was certainly enjoyable.”
Another aspect of Paul’s character is how he often rubbed opponents the wrong way in pursuit of any possible advantage and how he remained indifferent to others’ opinions about him. Paul is as competitive as any superstar of his era, a quality Brunson admires.
“He’s undoubtedly one of the greatest point guards to have ever played,” Brunson remarked. “Regardless of public opinion, he was unconcerned about what others thought of him.”
IN HIGH SCHOOL, Mitchell was never invited to Paul’s elite camp.
“I wasn’t skilled enough,” Mitchell stated. “I joke with him about that frequently.”
However, Mitchell asserts he might not be in the NBA without Paul and current Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George. During a CAA workout in the summer of 2017, the three were together, and Mitchell was seriously considering returning to Louisville for his junior season.
“I consistently tell everyone that I was planning to go back to school, and those two had nothing to gain from advising me to enter the NBA,” Mitchell told ESPN. “I am eternally thankful for that conversation among them and his brother, CJ.
“You learn early on that agents don’t prioritize your best interests. So even though my representative was urging me [to go pro], I was resistant. But once Chris Paul, PG, and his brother endorsed it, that ultimately led me to this point. I am forever grateful for that because, frankly, I wouldn’t be here without it.”
Mitchell was selected No. 13 by the Nuggets and traded to the Utah Jazz in 2017. The following summer, after his rookie season, Mitchell attended Paul’s camp, as many professionals do, to train or assist campers. Mitchell believes in asking questions and inundated Paul with inquiries — something Paul encourages both at the camp and by sharing his cellphone number with campers.
The seven-time All-Star stated that Paul taught him how to care for himself physically and mentally. He also adopted some of Paul’s clever techniques, especially after his Jazz were eliminated by Paul’s Rockets in the playoffs for two consecutive years in 2018 and 2019. Mitchell observed how Paul utilized pick-and-rolls to reach his preferred spots on the court.
“Every time he passes the picker on the left side, he sneaks it back to the right side and gets to that little midrange,” said Mitchell, whose Cleveland Cavaliers hold a 1-0 series lead over the Toronto Raptors in the first round. “And he forces the big to make a decision on whether to switch or not. CP tormented us with that in the playoffs [two years in a row]. That’s one thing I noticed, just being able to reach that little elbow spot where they switch or miscommunicate, he gets right to his little fade.
“Observing him do it, him explaining why he prefers that spot, it’s essential to find one [of your own]. Mine may not be the same as his. [But] whenever you need one, you know where you can go.”
WITH UNDER FIVE minutes remaining in an Orlando Magic 129-101 blowout victory over the visiting Clippers on Nov. 20, Richardson, Orlando’s first-round pick, entered the game and guarded Paul.
For Richardson, this was a welcome to the NBA moment. For Paul, it was merely another testament to his remarkable longevity. Paul entered the league in 2005, the same year Richardson was born.
“Of course, at the end of the game, I was running up the court, just shaking my head,” Paul reflected on seeing Richardson on the court with him. “Like, ‘I can’t believe I am playing against you.’
“It’s so surreal because I’ve been at AAU tournaments watching him play.”
The 6-1 Richardson attended Paul’s elite guard camp in 2023 and is the latest camper to reach the NBA, selected No. 25 by the Magic out of Michigan State. Richardson, 20, stated he has known Paul since he was about 5. His father, Jason Richardson, faced Paul 13 times in the regular season.
“That’s really like an OG to me, like an uncle,” Jase Richardson told ESPN regarding Paul. “Learning from him and competing against him is truly special. I believe the most significant lesson [he imparted] is to always think ahead in the game as a smaller guard. Try to stay a step ahead.”
Paul scored a layup while utilizing a screen from a teammate against the Magic rookie. Late in the game of that victory, Richardson made a 3-pointer.
The experience of competing against Paul in an NBA game is something Richardson will treasure.
“Especially with someone who has played against my dad and whom I grew up watching,” said Richardson, who is experiencing his first taste of the playoffs with Orlando, which holds a 1-0 series lead against the top-seeded Pistons in the first round. “Being a fan of him, and then finally sharing the court with someone like that who has accomplished so much …
“It doesn’t feel real.”
The reality for Paul now is that for the first time since 2005, he has free time. His final season did not conclude as anticipated with the team he previously spent six of his best seasons with as the leader of Lob City. The Clippers were 5-16 when they parted ways with Paul, falling to as low as 6-21 before reviving their season and eventually trading their former franchise player to Toronto at the deadline. The Raptors later waived him, and Paul announced his retirement in February.
Paul intends to dedicate his newfound free time to mentoring current and future generations of point guards.
“I’m not a hoarder of information,” Paul stated. “I am incredibly thankful to enjoy the achievements I have in my career. Any player or young person who wishes to ask questions, who has aspirations, if I possess anything that can assist them, I will share it.
“I am a product of all my experiences — both good and bad.”
