Chris Paul shares candid heart-to-heart with former OKC Thunder teammates during preseason Spurs clash

San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul reunited with his former OKC Thunder teammates on Monday night during their preseason clash. Paul didn't play due to rest but was at shootaround warming up. He signed with the Spurs in free agency to form a lethal duo with Victor Wembanyama.

In a video uploaded by Bally Sports Oklahoma on X, formerly known as Twitter, Paul was seen shaking hands with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who also sat out the preseason game. The two played together during the 2019-20 NBA season, with CP3 serving as SGA's mentor and role model.

The 39-year-old guard also dapped up former teammate Luguentz Dort, as well as current Thunder players Isaiah Joe and Jalen Williams and several assistant coaches. He played just one season in Oklahoma City before getting traded to the Phoenix Suns.

Here's the video of Paul's reunion with SGA and the Thunder:

The OKC Thunder acquired Chris Paul from the Houston Rockets in exchange for franchise great Russell Westbrook, a couple of first-round picks and pick swaps. There were rumors that Paul would be used as a trade chip by a young Thunder team.

However, Paul embraced his role as a leader and took Shai Gilgeous-Alexander under his wings. They were one of the best teams in the NBA that season, finishing with an impressive 44-28 record. They finished as the No. 5 seed and faced the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs inside the bubble.

It was an even back-and-forth series, with the Rockets pulling off a Game 7 win after a defensive play by James Harden on Luguenzt Dort. The Thunder quickly moved on from Paul, trading him to the Phoenix Suns where he made the NBA Finals in his first year.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander credits Chris Paul for turning him into an NBA superstar

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander credits Chris Paul for turning him into an NBA superstar. (Photo: IMAGN)

Despite playing just one season together, Chris Paul left an imprint on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, which helped turn him into one of the best players in the NBA. SGA told reporters during the OKC Thunder's Media Day how influential Paul was to his career.

"Chris was the first player I was around that was very particular about the things outside of basketball," Gilgeous-Alexander said, according to Yahoo! Sports.

"He was the first person I was around that ate a certain way, that made sure they were lifting a certain amount of times during the week. He would watch basketball games differently ... Not watching as a fan."

The 2024 MVP runner-up added:

"I think that kind of edge outside of the court is what makes him who he is as a player, along with his work and his skill set. That, if anything, is what I adopted from him the most."

SGA and Thunder enter the 2024-25 NBA season full of pressure and expectations. They acquired Alex Caruso via trade and signed Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency to further improve their roster that won 57 games last season.