Chris Paul just wasn’t himself during the NBA Finals, at times losing his handle, which led to turnovers — all very un-CP3. He clearly was bothered by a hand or wrist injury, and while he denied that it was impacting him during the Finals, it was reported not long after they ended that Paul has surgery.
Speaking to Time Magazine about the one-year anniversary of the player boycott in the bubble, Paul discussed both his injury and how getting a taste of the Finals has him eager to return.He recently had wrist surgery, and says he’s now rehabbing every morning starting at 6 a.m.
“It’s my fourth hand surgery,” says Paul. “So one thing I know about is the mental aspect of rehab. I’m getting there.”
Right after the finals, Paul says that coming so close to that elusive first title, but narrowly missing it, would hurt for awhile. “It’s never going to feel good,” he says. Though he’s 36, Paul—who signed a four-year, $120 million contract earlier this month—won’t be walking away from basketball anytime soon. “Now that I’ve got a taste of what that experience is like,” Paul says of playing in the NBA Finals, “I’m sort of addicted.”
Paul is expected to be fully recovered and ready for training camp.
He signed a four-year extension with the Suns this offseason, one that guarantees him at least $75 million and could be worth as much as $120 million if he plays all for seasons (the third season is only partially guaranteed at $15.8 million, the fourth season is non-guaranteed). Paul could have gotten more money from the Pelicans, but the chance to lead a contender again with the Suns kept him in the Valley of the Sun.
