What’s next for Chris Paul?
All men have ghosts that haunt them. NBA players are no different. For some that ghost is injuries. For others, it is wasted potential. For others still, it is off-court demons that worm their way into the player’s personal life. In Chris Paul’s case, the ghost that continues to haunt him is the same one he continues to chase: an NBA championship.
For nearly two decades, CP3’s ‘white whale’ has eluded him. It eluded him in New Orleans. It eluded him in Los Angeles. It eluded him in Houston. And it eluded him in Phoenix. Most fishermen would either hang up the tackle box and return to shore empty-handed, or start chasing a different catch if they had failed this many times.
Yet Chris Paul continues to cast his line, hoping to finally hook the trophy that has continued to dodge him. Now aboard the Warriors’ flagship, he has yet another genuine chance to capture that chalice. Even so, this is not guaranteed. The NBA ocean is full of sharks hunting for the same thing. Whether it be the Suns that he just left, the perennial dark horse in Miami, or the Nuggets who struck gold this year, the road to a championship is as daunting as it has ever been for Chris Paul.
Even as questions and conversations regarding the future of his career continue to fill the air, Paul seems as determined to win as the day he was drafted.
Will Chris Paul finally taste the sweetness of 24-karat gold? Or will this be yet another case of “so close, yet so far?” Only time will tell. But the one thing I can personally guarantee is this: The world will be watching.