AP Photo/Paul SancyaIt's safe to say that Chris Paul is motivated to return to the NBA Finals stage after his Phoenix Suns lost the title to the Milwaukee Bucks in July.
"It's never going to feel good," he said of losing, per Sean Gregory of Time. "Now that I've got a taste of what that experience is like, I'm sort of addicted."
While Paul has never won a championship, he is a surefire future Hall of Famer who is one of the best point guards in NBA history. His resume includes 10 All-NBA selections, nine All-Defensive selections, a Rookie of the Year, six steals titles, four assist titles and 11 All-Star Game selections.
Despite all those accomplishments, last season's NBA Finals appearance was his first in a career that dates back to 2005.
Paul previously starred for the New Orleans Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder before the Suns acquired him via trade prior to the 2020-21 campaign.
He was far more than just a veteran leader for a Phoenix franchise that hadn't been to the playoffs since the 2009-10 season and made the All-Star Game while averaging 16.4 points, 8.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game while often taking over in crunch time.
The 36-year-old clearly believes the Suns can help him reach the NBA Finals again considering he agreed to return on a four-year, $120 million contract this offseason rather than signing elsewhere after he opted out of his previous deal.
Defending that Western Conference crown won't be easy against a daunting slate of competitors that includes the Los Angeles Lakers, L.A. Clippers, Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets and more, but the Suns now have playoff success to fall back on after last year's run.
They also have an all-time point guard leading the way.
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