PHOENIX — After almost two decades in the NBA, Chris Paul has seen almost everything the league has to offer. However, after watching his Phoenix Suns make one of the biggest deals in recent league history for superstar forward Kevin Durant, even Paul admits he is still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he has another all-time great near him in the locker room.
“It’s different,” Paul told ESPN on Wednesday. “It’s taken some getting used to. I was telling [Devin Booker] the other day, I played with a lot of great players — I got a chance to play with Blake [Griffin], I got a chance to play with David West early in my career, I played with James [Harden] — [but] probably never two guys of this caliber, as far as Devin and KD. … I know I’m not taking it for granted. I told [Booker] not to.”
In his 18th NBA season, Paul, 37, knows the Suns are still going to have to go through an adjustment period as they weave Durant into the fabric of their team, saying “it’s going to be a process.” But Paul is confident that the relationship he’s built with Durant since they were young — combined with the collective love of the game between Durant, Booker and himself — will ease any growing pains the group has early on.
“I think me, in my position, I’ve seen teams like this form and then I always wonder, ‘Well, how are they going to play? How are they going to play?'” Paul said. “That’s the natural thing. I think the thing that I appreciate the most is just knowing. … I know how much [Durant] loves the game of basketball. And the same thing with Book. So just that appreciation for knowing how, above all this, they just love hoopin’ like myself, I think that’s a good feeling.”
The good feelings are palpable in the wake of last week’s trade that shook up the NBA. Durant entered the Suns’ locker room for the first time prior to Tuesday’s 120-109 win over the Sacramento Kings. He spent time greeting teammates and getting the lay of the land of his new home. He received a warm ovation from fans after being introduced in the third quarter and is scheduled to take part in an introductory news conference Thursday afternoon.
Suns coach Monty Williams appreciates the fact that there are now two future Hall of Famers on his team.
“It’s pretty cool to have a guy on your team that pretty much everyone on the team looks up to,” Williams said after Tuesday’s win. “Basically we’ve got two of them, Chris and KD. So I think it creates something. I can’t even explain it. It’s just pretty cool to watch — when you have high character, high level basketball players in your gym that love the game and they want to get better every day and they want to see guys around them get better.
“Again, I don’t have a word for it, but I know when I’m in the gym, I can feel it. These guys look up to Chris and KD, but they also understand that we’re all on the same team trying to do something pretty cool here.”
Paul, who is still looking for his first NBA championship, demurred when asked if he felt that Durant was the missing piece to help the Suns win their first title.
“Listen, adding anybody of that caliber, you’re like, ‘Well, damn,'” Paul said. “So I think for us, it’s just about figuring it out.”
Paul admits there were times he looked down the bench Tuesday night and still couldn’t believe Durant was finally his teammate after all these years. The pair spent some time talking at various points throughout the game, and Paul said he is looking forward to the journey the pair has ahead.
“I know, know KD, you know what I’m saying?” Paul said. “We done talked for years, worked out, all this stuff. It’s wild. Everything happens for a reason. KD is like family. So now, to get an opportunity to play alongside him in this capacity, I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity.”