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Paul will help represent U.S.
Hornets' star point guard makes 12-man roster for American team in Beijing Olympics
Journal Photo by Traci White
Chis Paul is one of three point guards to make the U.S. team.
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Published: June 24, 2008
Chris Paul got the word last week that he had been selected to the U.S. Olympics basketball team.
Yesterday, the news became official.
Paul, the former West Forsyth and Wake Forest star who recently finished his third season with the New Orleans Hornets, was on the 12-man roster announced by USA Basketball.
He'll leave Winston-Salem next week to start training camp in Las Vegas, and eventually it will be on to Beijing for the Olympics starting on Aug. 8.
"This is the best feeling I've ever had," Paul said. "I've always said to play in the NBA is a blessing. Don't get me wrong, it's great, all good and well. But there's so many guys that have that opportunity to play in the NBA. To play on the U.S. Olympic team and represent your country, I don't think there's any greater honor than that. There's so many people who fight every day for our freedom out of this country. And I get to play basketball and say that's my way to stand up for the USA. I'm happy. I'm proud."
Paul's comments came at a news conference where he announced plans for the third annual Chris Paul's Winston-Salem Weekend in September.
Paul is one of three point guards chosen to the team, along with Jason Kidd and Deron Williams. Also on the roster are Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Michael Redd and Tayshaun Prince.
Duke's Mike Krzyzewski is the head coach.
Paul's selection seemed obvious after he became one of the elite players in the NBA this past season, leading the Hornets to Midwest Division title. He was an All-Star for the first time and averaged career highs of 21.1 points, 11.6 assists and 2.7 steals.
But Paul didn't play for Team USA when it won the Americas Championship last summer, after undergoing surgery on his foot. There were fears initially that that might hurt his chances. But Jerry Colangelo, the managing director for the men's team, called Paul last week while Paul was holding a basketball camp in Oklahoma City to give him the good news.
"It's still … I don't think it's hit me yet that I'm playing for the Olympic team, because when I played for Team USA two years ago, it wasn't THE OLYMPICS," Paul said.
The U.S. hasn't won Olympics gold in men's basketball since 2000. It won the bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics. The U.S. also failed to win the gold in the 2006 World Championships, so Paul understands the pressure on this team to succeed. Paul played on that team but was a backup who had just finished his rookie season in the NBA.
"I think we had a really good team two years ago, but we were somewhat young with a little bit of experience," Paul said. "I think this team is more experienced and this team understands what happened in '04, understands what happened in '06. And I mean, the team then also didn't have Kobe. Kobe is a guy who can change a game at any time.
"I think we all realize it's now or never. We understand that this is the best opportunity to reclaim that crown as being No. 1. So we've got to take full advantage of it."
Paul said that he was looking forward to playing for Krzyzewski, a rival when Paul played at Wake Forest. Paul played for Krzyzewski for Team USA in the 2006 World Championships.
"I'm so excited," Paul said. "I played for him two years ago and the first day we got there, me and him talked and it was definitely, ‘We'll get past this Wake-Duke thing and play for the USA.' That's what Team USA is all about. You may be on a team with somebody you had an encounter with during the NBA season, but when you put on that red, white and blue, all that's out the window."
Paul is the first known player from the area to play for the U.S. Olympics basketball team, although the area has produced at least one other Olympian -- Randy Jones, a bobsledder in three different Winter Games who played football at Glenn and Duke.
That, too, is still sinking in.
He remembers watching the Olympics at his grandmother's house as a youngster.
"Me and Justin (Gray) were at my house watching qualifying for the gymnastics (on Sunday)," Paul said. "The thing about it, I can remember being at my grandmother's house during the Olympics, and it's on all day. Now I watch pretty much just basketball and football. But when the Olympics come, you watch things that you normally don't watch -- swimming and all those different things. We got goosebumps watching the girl in the gymnastics landing all her jumps.
"I think that's what the Olympics is all about."
■ John Delong can be reached at jdelong@wsjournal.com.
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