Children find no brighter star than Paul
Player keeps promises in state despite Hornets' departure
Children find no brighter star than Paul

By Darnell Mayberry

Published: June 19, 2007

Swade Carter shouldn't even be walking, much less running inside a Heritage Hall gymnasium with hundreds of other children this week at Hornets guard Chris Paul's basketball camp.

Carter, an 11-year-old Edmond resident, should be at home recovering from a serious car accident he was involved in last year that left him with a severely injured right knee and broken pelvis.

But there's no way Carter would have missed a chance to learn a few tricks from his favorite NBA player. After all, who knows when another NBA star will hold a week-long camp in Oklahoma?

"It was something that he really wanted,” said Teresa Carter, Swade's mother. "It's worth every penny if he can improve his skills and techniques and actually get to do it with a pro.

"I was really curious whether they were going to have the camp because I knew the (Hornets) were going back to New Orleans. I think it means a lot that (Paul) stayed here and did this for the kids. And he's present at the camp. That was one of my concerns, would he actually be involved? And he is.”

Paul knows no other way.

Although the Hornets have officially packed up and headed back to New Orleans full-time, Paul, the team's brightest star of the past two seasons, has kept a presence in Oklahoma.

For the second consecutive year, he's hosting more than 700 children this week during his basketball camp. He continues to fulfill his responsibilities to Chesapeake as part of a sponsorship deal he signed last year. He returned two weeks ago to welcome the energy company's interns. The day before that, he was in Tulsa as the male recipient of a Henry P. Iba Award. Paul also recently partnered with Toyota to refurbish a local school's basketball court.

"My first two years being here in Oklahoma City, that means a lot to me,” Paul said. "And it's not like we'll move to New Orleans and I'll forget Oklahoma City and everything that the fans have supported me on and done for me. My plan is to continue to do a camp year in and year out here in Oklahoma City. It definitely gives me a reason to come back, and I want to come back.”

Paul is savvy enough to know that if the Seattle SuperSonics were to relocate here next summer, their presence would all but end his relationship with Oklahoma. But he's hoping that won't be the case.

"I can't leave it,” Paul said of Oklahoma. "Just like if we were (Oklahoma City's team), I couldn't leave New Orleans. I'll always be involved in both cities.”

Those who have become close to Paul the past two years say that's a testament to his character.

"He's really remarkable,” said Chesapeake co-founder and CEO Aubrey McClendon. "Here's a guy who's one of the most exciting stars in the NBA, and he gets pulled a lot of different ways to do a lot of different things.

"He could be in a lot of different places other than right here in Oklahoma City, but to take the time to come back is very special and very important. And that really speaks volumes about the high quality of person that Chris is.”