Originally Published: December 4, 2007

COMPLETE
PACKAGE

CHRIS
PAUL

" I DO WHAT I CAN TO HELP OTHERS "

Answer this Riddle
 
  what happens when

you take a young hornet

add 1000 turkeys and

wait 8 long years

You get Chris Paul  leading New Orleans to it first victory over Dallas since 1999. Where  do 1000 turkeys come in. They came in more than a week ago with Chris  Paul to feed a thousand struggling families in New Orleans and Winston-Salem. And what do they have to do with the Hornets beating the  Mavs anyway. They display the kind of awareness and determination that  makes Chris Paul a rising young star in the NBA.

As reported in one  Sports source here is exactly what Paul did December 1st after feeding  so many with his generosity first, " Chris Paul poured in 33 points,  tallied 12 assists, and pulled down nine rebounds to lead the Hornets  to their first win over the Mavericks in eight years, as New Orleans outlasted Dallas, 112-108, in overtime."

And here is  how Paul described the experience

"It is a  great feeling to beat Dallas," said Paul. "I told Jason Terry right  before the last possession that this has been a long time coming. I had  never beat that team and it was good to get a win." Well Chris your  good deeds precede you. You deserve the win.

There is  more to tell about the turkeys and Paul's talents but it is  worth noting here yet another aspect of this youthful Renaissance Man  his narration on an ESPN documentary  "Black Magic" along with other  notables Samuel L. Jackson and Wynton Marsalis. "Black Magic" is a film  about the Civil Rights Movement seen from the perspective of the  basketball programs at historically Black colleges. The documentary  will air on both March 16 and March 17 during the NCAA Tournament.
 
  Back to Basketball

Prior to  taking down the Mavericks also following his Thanksgiving Odyssey here  is how the Atlanta Journal Constitution described what Paul did to  Atlanta's Hawks,  " Injured in the Hornets'  previous trips to town,  Paul finally got his chance to work the floor. And he was unstoppable  in the first quarter, leading the Hornets to a 28-22 lead by shooting  5-for-5 from the floor (11 points) and dishing out three assists. He  was 7-for-8 by halftime and led the Hornets with 16 points. In two  previous games against the Hawks, Paul averaged 24 points and 12  assists."

Chris Paul is burning up the NBA

when he's not off the hardwood

doing Good Deeds

Now let's take it

to the rim

Here is what HoopsWorld

says about Chris Paul

" Everyone can see that Chris Paul is a great player.  But just how great  is he and how great will he be? There's always been a certain part of  humanity that relishes the opportunity to predict the future, so in  comparing Paul's numbers to some of the great point guards of our time,  is it possible to see what he may become ? "
 
" In choosing the greatest point guards of our time, Paul's third-year  numbers were measured up against Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, and the  recently-retired Gary Payton. The results? Paul is head and shoulders  above where these greats were in their third year."
 
" Although Paul gets slightly more playing time than the three he's  being  compared to, he is clearly better in every statistical category of  note."

So if you have not been following

Chris Paul's career and catching

every Hornets game you can

time to begin doing so

Now back to those

Turkeys and Thanksgiving

Paul got the idea to team up with Smithfield Foods of Smithfield, Virginia, to distribute lots of  turkeys. Chris' personal appeal convinced Smithfield's CEO Joseph  Luter. But that was just the start. While anchoring his Hornets team,  Paul and his other 'team" his Thanksgiving team had to coordinate a  tremendous number of elements and seek out lots of volunteers to  distribute so many turkeys in time for Thanksgiving in two cities. Big  beautiful succulent turkeys to families that might have been sitting  down to franks and beans or a scrawny bird otherwise on Thanksgiving  Day.

The NBA 2006 Rookie of the Year  also has won the NBA Community Assist Award  As Ralf Walters who  represents Chris Paul at the firm Patterson Partners in Greensboro,  North Carolina noted " The award acknowledges Chris's emphasis on  community involvement and service, not just in Winston-Salem, but also  his donation of food baskets and bikes for underprivileged children in Oklahoma City and New Orleans."

Too  bad every 22 year old

quickly  rising Sports Star

does  not possess the range

Chris  does on and more

off  the Court cause if

they  did it would be

A  Far Better World

Bravo  Chris !

Whenever you want to reach us with comments
or better yet an idea for a topic for the Box .......
blackbox@blackathlete.net

 
  CHRIS PAUL LEADING ON
AND OFF THE HARDWOOD