Chris Emmanuel Paul

Chris Paul weaving through Memphis Defense (http://i.a.cnn.net/si/pr/subs2/)

A leader, an athlete, a brain, and a compassionate person, these are the traits of a hero. All of these traits are found in the 2006 NBA Rookie of the Year, Chris Paul. Ever since he was drafted in 2005 as the 4th overall pick in the 1st round, Chris entered the New Orleans Hornets as a leader. He took this position on the team playing the most difficult position on the floor, point guard. Point guard is most commonly known as the player who distributes the ball to all teammates and makes critical decisions. Intelligence and knowledge of the game are important to the position Chris plays. His intelligence, compassion, and leadership are traits that I admire in a hero.

Chris Emmanuel Paul was born on May 6, 1985 in Lewisville, North Carolina. As a child, he spent a lot of his time with his grandfather. Chris and his grandfather had a close relationship. In his teens Chris watched the NBA and was a fan of Michael Jordan (a six-time championship winner, and five-time most valuable player) and Tim Duncan (who was an excellent basketball player who went to Wake Forest, where Chris later attended).

(http://www.draftexpress.com/ gallery/ChrisPaul/.jpg))

Chris entered his freshman year at West Forsyth High School; he participated on the JV basketball team for two years. By his junior year, Chris grew four inches making him 6’ tall. Through his growth spurt he didn’t lose any amount of athleticism or quickness. The moment he was initiated onto the team he was their most skilled player, but he was slowed down by his height. By his junior year, Chris matured into a 6’0 junior, and he lead his high school team into a 27-4 season averaging 30.8 points, 8 assists, 6 steals, and 5 rebounds per game. In 2002 Chris Paul made a commitment to Wake Forest College after being recruited by every college in the ACC.

Following his acceptance, Chris Paul’s 61-year-old grandfather was brutally murdered by a teenage gang. Chris was informed that in a couple days West Forsyth High School would be playing Parkland High. On November 23rd, 2002, Chris Paul dished in 61 points. Each one of his 61 points represented the age of his grandfather. In the fourth quarter Chris reached 61 points at the free throw line and purposely missed his second free throw so that he could have exactly 61 points.

Chris Paul loved his grandfather and worked his hardest in what he does best, basketball, in rememberance of his grandfather. This is an example of Chris’ compassionate nature. This compassion describes a hero.

During his career in high school, Chris was recruited into the high school All American Game. He represented the East Coast in this game and was accompanied by players like LeBron James and Charlie Villanueva. In the All American Game, Chris dished out 10 assists and 10 points equaling a double double.

Chris Paul began his freshman year at Wake Forest University in 2003. On this team he won the award for Rookie of the Year for the Atlantic Coast Conference. He broke an ACC record racking up 84 steals in one season.

Chris Paul was drafted into the NBA as the fourth overall pick. He was drafted to the New Orleans Hornets. The moment he was drafted he was accepted as a teammate. Players knew his skill and had seen his game play. In the 2005-2006 seasons, Chris played with starting lineup of players like Tyson Chandler, Rasaul Butler, Hilton Armstrong, and Brandon Bass.

Out of all the teams in the NBA, New Orleans suffered the most trauma. Their season was postponed because of Hurricane Katrina. Throughout this event, instead of dwelling on what happened, Chris and his teammates helped their community. Chris is a member of an organization, NBA Cares (a branch of NBA), which helps NBA teams give back to their community. Chris worked in NBA Cares and was involved in the organization Hoops for Homes, building homes for those who lost theirs in the hurricane. Hoops for Homes was launched on November 24, 2005.

Overall, Chris Emmanuel Paul is my hero because he demonstrates traits like leadership, intelligence, and compassion. Athleticism, building homes, giving children a place to live, saving people -- this is a definition of a hero, this is the definition of Chris Paul.