Paul's Competitive Streak Showing Through In LA

On the court he's always been a bit of a jerk. If you didn't get a chance to see him very often, and if you cheer for a team that plays outside the Southwest Division, chances are you didn't see him much and wouldn't have noticed it. Now that he's in LA and they've been on TV a ton, Chris Paul's competitive streak is getting noticed on a national level.

Recently, ESPN's Rick Reilly spent some time with the Clippers and discovered quite a few things about the league's best point guard. First, he's always liked LA and says he's always liked the franchise. It probably helps that the Clips were a decent team when Paul was in the League. Reilly also discovered that even Paul's teammates think he's a little dirty.

"What Paul has learned about L.A. is nothing compared to what L.A. has learned about Paul. For instance, L.A. now knows that off the court, he's St. Paul. On the court, he's 6 feet of hate.

'He's chippy," says Paul's new Clippers teammate Chauncey Billups, who considers Paul a little brother. 'Very chippy. And dirty. Man, we've been in all kinds of fights in this league.'

Paul slaps his forehead. 'Half the things I do, I got from him! I used to come around a ball screen and he'd be holding on to my wrist!"

Last night's game was a perfect example of what Paul has brought to LA. Paul picked up a technical foul for barking at a referee. Then in the 4th quarter he led the Clips with 12 points in the final period, giving Los Angeles' second basketball team their first win in Utah since 2003.

I've written in other places that you can't win a title when your best player is a point guard. Look it up, it almost never happens. I amend that when you're taking about Chris Paul. He is absolutely a jerk on the court. No one in the league has a better "I'd really like to kick your ass" face and he's not afraid to use it on his opponents or teammates (he used it a lot when Hilton Armstrong robbed him of several assists). I don't know if the Clippers have the size or depth to win it all this year, but boy are they going to be a tough out come playoff time.

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