It’s common during the summertime for NBA players to play pickup basketball with college players at their schools. Earlier this week, BYU Cougars coach Kevin Young said future Hall of Famer Chris Paul wants to do so next summer at BYU.
Speaking Thursday night during a fan Q&A session on his weekly show with Greg Wrubell, Young was asked if he’s been following the NBA this season and whether or not he’s kept in contact with any players.
Young, who came to BYU from the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, said he still follows the league quite a bit and still keeps in touch with some of the players from the Suns.
In particular, Young said he talks regularly with Paul (now with the San Antonio Spurs), as well as Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. Young said he tries not to talk too much about the NBA with his BYU players, but then noted that Paul FaceTimed him just on Wednesday and said, “‘Man, I’m comin’ this summer. I’m bringing my son. We’re gonna come play pickup with your guys,’ so they’ll be here for sure.”
Wrubell replied by calling it “a pretty cool thing” that Paul wants to do that, and Young said, “Chris is the best, man. Like, he’s — that’s one of the things I love about the game. It just brings people together and you build up lifelong relationships. He’s a great guy.”
Paul, 39 (he’ll turn 40 next May), is in his 20th season in the NBA. On Sunday, he passed Jason Kidd for second in league history in total assists and now trails only Utah Jazz legend John Stockton.
On Wednesday, the Spurs published a video in which Paul and Hall of Fame point guard Tony Parker conducted a lengthy chat. In that video, Paul said he’d like to play in the league for perhaps another year or two but that it’s something he’s still trying to figure out.
“I think at this point, the hardest part is I love this, practice today and all that. I love hooping. I love all of that. The hardest part is when I get home, and I gotta watch my kids’ games on my iPad. That’s the tug-of-war right now,” he said.
Paul has a 15-year-old son named Chris Jr. and a 12-year-old daughter named Camryn.