Celebrating the past in the present, with a glimpse into the future
A Chris Paul pass, a Victor Wembanyama 3-pointer, and the perfectly symbolic moment in history.
San Antonio had long been part of Chris Paul’s journey, well before he passed Jason Kidd for second place on the league’s all-time list of assist leaders.
It was front row for the Point God’s kickouts to Peja Stojaković and drop-offs to David West in New Orleans, his Lob City takeovers with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan in Los Angeles, his guidance of Devin Booker’s emerging stardom in Phoenix, and all helpers to the 168 other NBA players in between over the last couple of decades.
But on Sunday night it was the Spurs’ turn to enjoy the spoils, from the historic 12,092nd dime to the 12,099th that helped seal a 121-116 victory over the Pelicans — fittingly, the franchise where Paul started it all.
“(New Orleans head coach) Willie Green, who's like a brother to me, to play against them tonight and to see ‘Big Shot’ (longtime Hornets/Pelicans equipment manager David Jovanovic) — he was with me the very first assist I ever got. He's known me since I was 19 … and I think everything happens for a reason,” Paul said postgame. “I've been in a few playoff series here against the Spurs, and so when we go play on the road, there's a lot of boos that come my way for changing teams. But San Antonio has been nothing short of amazing.
“The fans have been amazing. The staff, the team — you hear all these stories about San Antonio, this first-class organization. So to get an opportunity to experience and witness it? Just gratitude.”
It’s a feeling that’s reciprocated, too. As acting head coach Mitch Johnson put it in the locker room afterward, “We’ve all watched and admired you [Paul] in this long journey, and we’ve all been privileged this year to experience it up close.” The Spurs brought the future Hall-of-Famer to San Antonio, not for that singular milestone assist and subsequent celebration, but for all the wisdom packed into the 12,091 helpers that came before it, for the wealth of knowledge, dedication, consistency and longevity required to reach such heights, and in the hopes he’d be able to pass it on to the generation that’s next in line.
So it’s appropriate that in the middle of the big night was Victor Wembanyama, the recipient of both the pass that pushed Paul past Kidd and the pick-and-pop setup that eventually won the game. We see symbolism in sports on a nearly nightly basis, where past not only meets the future, but runs, jumps and fights hand-in-hand with it in the present.
And none of this is lost on Victor, who was only a year old when Paul made his NBA debut. He’s got “plenty” of memories of his cohort’s prime, and would be lying if he said he didn’t want to be the one whose basket propelled his point guard into the next chapter of the history books. But as is always the case with Wembanyama, it’s more about the perspective than being a prisoner of the moment — even if that moment is a pretty cool one.
The Spurs brought Paul to town to lead by example, and their superstar is following, observing and learning.
“(Paul is) just incredible, how he doesn't just do things halfway. He's never just on the court to be on the court,” Wemby said. “He's actually trying to win, trying to find solutions, and I think it's a really unique thing and a trait that you find in all these greats that stick around for years and years. They're not here just to be here. He's really purposeful.”
Those displays of intentionality and professionalism over the course of two decades at the highest level of sport are two of the main characteristics that drove Gregg Popovich and the Spurs to approach Paul in the first place. For a team in need of daily guidance, and a phenom whose talent already exceeds that of most anyone in the league, true excellence was required in setting the tone for everything that comes next in San Antonio.
It may have only been one pass, on an inbounds play they’ve run a hundred times before, ahead of yet another Wembanyama 3-pointer. But it symbolized so much more.
The gratitude Paul expressed Sunday was not unique to that one night. Since his arrival in San Antonio, he’s regularly mentioned how welcomed he’s felt, how the locker room has been like a substitute family while he’s away from his own, and how he’s genuinely appreciated all the youngsters in his midst.
But he also appreciates greatness. He’s been around a bunch of it throughout his career, after all. So while hoop heads would’ve celebrated his achievement all the same had it come on a Jeremy Sochan dunk or a Julian Champagnie 3-pointer, the fact it did come from the hands of Wembanyama added a perfect punctuation.
“I think it’s been really cool to be a part of his journey,” Paul said. “I've had an opportunity to be a part of a lot of great players’ journey in my career, and to be here with Vic and to be connected to him in that way has been pretty cool.”
Amazing article tonight, Matt. One of your best.
Great reporting of history!