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Recently, Nike invited us down to the Lilian Baylis Technology School, in Kennington, South London, for the re-dedication of their Jordan Brand basketball court. The court was initially refurbished and renamed the ‘Jordan Legacy Court’ in 2006 when reopened by Michael Jordan himself. June 2010 saw the e-dedication of the court by NBA All-Star and Team Jordan member Chris Paul.

The court has encouraged more young people to make a positive contribution to basketball in the capital by providing them with a space to improve their skills as well as their lives. The morning was centered around a coaching clinic for a number of London’s best Point Guards, Chris Paul witnessed a number of boys and girls going through numerous skills-enhancing drills and he took his time to visit each group, watching and listening to the coaches and children, as they sought to improve their ball handling and footwork.

After watching, he gave the children an opportunity to ask him any questions that they had, some of which were really thought provoking and Paul, true to his professional and extremely humble self took the time to answer them back as well as sharing some very with inspiring and encouraging words for them to take away from the day.

The day was capped off with Chris, Gentry Humphrey (International GM of Jordan Brand), and London coach Junior Williams officially re-dedicating the court.

We were given the opportunity to sit down with Chris Paul, and ask a few questions:

HQ: What brings you to the UK?

CP: Rededicatin’ the Lilian Bayliss court, and gettin’ the opportunity to see the kids. Most of all, to be a part of all the action.

HQ: We know this is your first time to London. Have you been to any other cities or countries in Europe?

CP: Naw. First time, first time.

HQ: Basketball’s seen as an American sport. When you go to Paris, are you going to be raising awareness or the sport over there?

CP: Yes, yes, definitely. We’re also participatin’ in The Quai 54, a huge 3-on-3 outdoor tournament. For me, playin’ so much basketball, the way the game has grown is unbelievable. It’s global now. Especially when you go to the Olympics; it was always ‘the USA was gona win by so much’, but now it’s up in the air. If you went to the NBA and went through the top 25 players, there are a lot from Europe, China, etc. I’m sure for a lot of the older guys in the league, that’s pretty rare for them, cause they were around when there were not as many European players. For me, that’s all I’ve known, you know, because me and Luol Deng were in High School together at the same time, and played in the McDonald’s All-American game together at the same time.

HQ:  Does that change the style and feel of the game, because the European players tend to have a good long distance shooting element. They bring a different dynamic and intensity to it. Do you find that progresses the game?

CP: I love it, I love it. I think it has progressed the game. Just think about it: year’s ago, no one knew what a Euro-Step was. Putting both blends of the game together is progressin’ the game amazingly. I tell people I didn’t start that huge Euro-step until the playoffs in ’08. I didn’t do that when I was in college; I didn’t know about it; and its funny, cause now I see my AAU teams, and younger kids when they play, they do these moves that I didn’t start doin’ until I was in the NBA. It’s really good to see how fast the game is progressin’.

HQ: Are you consciously watching how the game is played around the world, because we look towards America, the powerhouse that is the NBA and Jordan Brand as our main point of focus. When you think of basketball, you associate it with America. Are NBA players looking outside of their own?

CP: Yes. Well, if you’re a basketball junkie you are. Like, I watch basketball all-day everyday! Jada (my wife) will probably tell ya, before I go to games, a lot of times on NBA TV they’re showing The Eurobasket, and I’m watchin’. It’s a different intensity, cause all those games over there, are almost like Olympic games. Like, if you loose, you might die! I actually have a lot of my friends that play overseas, so I also get the opportunity to see them.

HQ: At 25 years old, you’re fairly young to captain a team. How much pressure is on your shoulders, and how to you deal with it all?

CP: I don’t think there’s really any pressure. I think its more responsibility, in that, being a captain at a young age is all about credibility. You know, in anythin’ you do, any profession, any field, say your not the captain, say your the boss, the only way people are gona follow you, is if you lead by example.  You have to be the hardest worker; you need to be the first to arrive and last to leave the gym. I think the best quality of a leader, is bein’ able to follow. Sometimes people can’t lead as well, cause if somebody tells them somethin’, they don’t wana hear it.

HQ: Does it help to have a veteran ear to be a kind of counsellor to you? I know you have James Posey on your team, and he has been around for a while, so has probably experienced a lot in the league.

CP: Yes. Its funny, cause Pose been around for a while. He actually called me last night when we got to the hotel, and we talked for a while. In my rookie year, I had P.J. Brown. He really was that guy for me, that taught me what it’s like to be a professional. What it means to carry the load, and to be a leader. Now, being a leader, you have guys like Pose. When you say somethin’ you always need a guy that’s gona reemphasise it. He’s that guy for me.

HQ: As well as being a member of Team Jordan, your one of only 3 players to have your own shoe with the brand. How did that deal come about?

CP: It came about after my rookie year. Like you say, the only three players to have their own shoe are [Derek] Jeter, myself, and Melo [Carmelo Anthony]. I know you guys are sneaker heads, and I’m the same way. I remember as a kid, bein’ in those lines outside Footlockers and stuff like that, trying to get Jordan’s and different things. You guys have no clue what its like for me to know MJ now, and to have my own shoe under the brand. Like, it’s something that you don’t get used to. Seriously!Like, I can get a new t-shirt, and open the plastic bag and pop the tag…I may not always say it, but there’s a feelin’ that goes through me EVERY single time. Not some of the time, EVERY single time. Its like ‘Wow, look at this’. It’s amazin’!

HQ: What’s your favourite shoe?

CP: I’ve always said the 13’s.

HQ: How closely do you work with Senior Footwear Designer Jason Mayden in creating the feel, look and performance of your shoe?

CP: Very very close. Jay May has been a blessin’ to me. His been unbelievable: not only on the shoe side of it, but as a friend to just talk about different things with. I think he understands it and he gets it, you know. He knows me, so he knows what I’ll like in a shoe. I think the thing that he also understands is it’s about performance too, not just about how it looks. I know that’s a huge part of it, but at the same time, he knows what I like, and it makes everything so much easier when you have someone who wants you to do well and wants you to succeed.

HQ: Give us an interesting fact about yourself?

CP: Golf! I do play golf now; I’m better at bowlin’ though. What do I do in my spare time? We play trivia games a lot. My wife like’s Monopoly, but that game’s too long. We play this game called Buzz on the TV, Scattergories, and Taboo.

HQ: The Olympics is in a couple of years, and the FIBA World Championships are around the corner. When you were speaking to the children earlier, you mentioned a scenario where you were running a break in practise. You looked around and you have all these superstar NBA players on your team. How was it competing alongside other NBA superstars for a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics?

CP: It was pretty surreal competin’ for a gold medal in Beijing, because the only person on our team that had a gold medal was Jason Kidd. So, when you’re in the NBA and you play for different things, everybody wants to win. You may have a guy on your team that’s won a championship before, that’s won two rings, three rings. When you get a group of guys like us that are all trying to get somethin’ for the first time, it brings out a different fire in you.

HQ: Leading on from that, due to the free-agent situation for some of the members of that Olympic squad (LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh), will that affect any of the dynamics of the USA squad for the FIBA World Championships?

CP: Possibly, you know. Different guys may have different things goin’ on, and if you haven’t signed a contract by the time the World Championships have started, I’m sure that’ll have a role in it. I’m not sure what’ll happen’ yet.

HQ: You mentioned that you’re a competitor. Injury is something that affects any athlete, and up until this season, you have been very durable. We know this past season you were hurt. Was that frustrating?

CP: It was VERY frustratin’, cause I hate to watch. I hate to watch basketball, cause I wanna play! With the injury, I think it helped me realise that it can happen and it’s a setback. The thing now is, I’m so excited about next year, because its almost like your startin’ over. Maybe not in the eyes of everybody else, but to me it gives me a fresh start. It makes me more hungrier than ever.

HQ: Any specific goals for the upcoming season?

CP: Stay healthy. That’s my goal, but most of all, I’m tryin’ to win an NBA Championship.

HQ: Thanks for having us Chris.

CP: It’s a pleasure.

We wish Chris Paul all the best with his basketball career, and would like to thank our good friends at Nike for inviting us to share in the rededication of the Jordan Legacy Court.

Questions and interview conducted by Blanchard, Davou, and Lemara.

Photography by Coach and Lemara

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