Chris Paul brushes off trade rumours – NBA Update
New Orleans Hornets star Chris Paul has responded to the latest rumours linking him with a transfer to the New York Knicks with a measure of bemusement.
The swingman said he doesn’t have any clue about a move and doesn’t pay much heed to rumours anyway.
"You can't control it. It's always going to happen. It's part of the game," Paul said. "I'm just happy to be back with my team."
Chris is the crown jewel in New Orleans, where the team is quickly falling apart and the fans fear their most prized possession could also be on his way out. Star power forward David West opted out of his deal at the Hornets when the season ended and there is widespread fear Paul could force a transfer before the new season starts.
Rubbishing the rumours though, the player said that he was much happier concentrating on his game.
"I don't think about it, to tell you the truth," Paul said of the trade rumours, in an interview published on ESPN. "I'm just ready to get out here and compete and hoop. This is what I do. I love it.”
Chris also spoke of his relief at the NBA lockout ending. He revealed that he had suffered a lot during the 5 month lockout that began back in July. During the lockout players were not allowed to train with team staff nor were they allowed to use franchise facilities for practice.
C3P said that rather than thinking about leaving New Orleans, he was just happy that the lockout had ended and he could get back to doing what he did best; play basketball.
"I have a very tight circle and they know this whole lockout thing's been driving me nuts, so I'm just happy to get out on the court and compete. This is the way that I express myself, by playing basketball, so I can't wait to get out there."
The Hornets would be counting on Paul to lead the team back to the playoffs this season after being bundled out in the first round by the Los Angeles Lakers last year. Paul put in some tremendous performances in that series but couldn’t matchup to the star studded Lakers in Los Angeles.
His task is going to be all the more difficult this season if the Hornets do not re-sign West or replace him with another quality player. The coming season is also the last before Paul’s contract is up and he can move to a team of his choice, widely believed to be the New York Knicks.
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