For some reason, the trusty series of tubes was very interested in Chris Paul over the weekend. That may very well be a function of Chris Paul doing completely awesome things. For instance, Chef Paul joined David West and a bevy of other big-name NBA players in a game of pick-up basketball with Barack Obama on his 49th birthday:
Obama, who turned 49 on Wednesday, took to the court for a game with a stunning list of all-stars, including Grant Hill, Shane Battier, Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Derek Fisher, LeBron James, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Maya Moore, Alonzo Mourning, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, Bill Russell, Etan Thomas, Dwyane Wade and David West. The game was closed to the media.
*snip*
The White House provided few details about the festivities but confirmed that the president and his guests would be dining on shrimp harvested from the Gulf of Mexico.
It's good to know that New Orleans was well represented, providing two players and dinner.
Now I've been intentionally avoiding linking any ridiculous rumors about Chris Paul leaving, since they all have no sources and are completely indistinguishable from each other. But occasionally one really stands out, like this one hinting that Isiah Thomas was hired by the Knicks to lure free agents:
Thomas can supposedly relate to today's players better than Walsh and coach Mike D'Antoni. This apparently helped the club sign pogo-stick free agent Amar'e Stoudemire.
And the Knicks are hoping Thomas' communication skills can land them two more free agents. Next summer, they want Carmelo Anthony. Two summers from now, they're scheming on Chris Paul.
Perhaps, this isn't insanity. Perhaps, this is a calculated risk.
First, if any player would be convinced to go to the Knicks because Isiah Thomas recommends it, he is completely devoid of frontal lobe function. Second, this is an opportunity to link to one of the most hilarious magazine stories of all time. Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I read that New York Magazine article and think, "Hey, at least I'm not as incompetent as Isiah Thomas." Third, the whole notion doesn't make any sense. If Isiah Thomas is the main draw for players, what good would he be as a consultant? Players know they won't be working with him, since he's coaching in college. Hoopsvibe's entire premise seems completely ridiculous.
Finally, after a month that has taken some of the sheen off of Chris Paul, sometimes it's nice to be reminded that he's a really stand-up guy that works hard to make his community a better place. None of the information in the brief profile is new, but it has more weight when it's all in one short profile. And I had no idea that Chris donated $61,616.61 for Haiti relief efforts in honor of his grandfather. That's pretty cool.