The lazy days of summer are upon us, but for Chris Paul, it may be the most eventful offseason of his eight-year career. Well, save for that zany post-lockout week in December 2011, when he wound up a Los Angeles Clipper after the league office vetoed a deal to the Lakers. This offseason, Paul becomes a free agent for the first time in his career, and the Clippers finally completed a deal for Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers on Sunday after on-again, off-again talks.
Last week, Paul also watched his close friend and former USA Basketball teammate LeBron James win his second straight NBA Finals MVP award.
After the Clippers' first round playoff loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, seeing James triumph undoubtedly lit even more of a fire in the hyper-competitive point guard.
Despite the glare following him, Paul is not shying from the public eye. On Friday morning, he took the stage of Hollywood's El Capitan Theatre, handed out certificates of achievement to students in the "LA's BEST" after school program and posed for pictures with Mike and Sulley of the Disney/Pixar movie "Monsters University." And though reports surfaced that Paul was upset with Clippers' management for linking him to the firing of ex-coach Vinny Del Negro, the soon-to-be free agent sure seems at home amidst the Los Angeles social scene.
On Saturday evening, Paul strolled the red carpet at the swanky Beverly Hilton hotel with his wife, Jada, and hosted the 25th anniversary ceremony for "LA's BEST." Honorees at the event included Bill Dorfman, the dentist for Wayne Gretzky and numerous other athletes, and Anita DeFrantz, the United States representative to the International Olympic Committee. ThePostGame caught up briefly with Paul before the ceremony.
ThePostGame: You’re at an event for a kids' foundation. What's your favorite thing to do with your kids in L.A.?
PAUL: Probably just the pool at my house. My son [4-year-old Chris Jr.] tries to go swimming every day. My daughter [10-month-old Camryn] actually loves to go swimming also.
TPG: Speaking of Little Chris, I saw that you were trying to teach him some golf. Is he going to be a golfer instead of a basketball player?
PAUL: No question. I would love for him to be a golfer instead of a basketball player. There's a lot of longevity in golf.
TPG: What are your thoughts on the NBA Finals series that just ended? Is it one of the best series you’ve ever seen?
PAUL: I definitely think it was one of the best series I’ve ever seen, and hats off to the Miami Heat. It’s tough to win one, and it's even tougher to win them back-to-back.
TPG: It’s been a stressful offseason for you. Your name is in the headlines a lot with your free agency and the Clippers looking for a new head coach. What are you doing to relax and kick back?
PAUL: It’s not stressful, man. I'm blessed -- I'm fortunate to be in the situation I’m in, and during the offseason, I just spend as much time with my family as possible. During the season, it's a lot of traveling and stuff, so I just try to be there with my kids and my wife as much as possible.
