Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama, despite being 18 years apart in age and playing a vastly different positions, seemed to hit it off last season on the San Antonio Spurs. Both are ruthless competitors who hold themselves to a high standard, and that was never on display more than when they "cheated" at the Skills Challenge.
They were ultimately disqualified, and while they both played it off as a fun goof during an exhibition tournament, it seemed likely that they were both livid.
Paul will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and the Spurs have filled in the backcourt with De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and likely Dylan Harper, so his tenure on the team is expected to be over.
That doesn't mean he doesn't want to team up with Wemby one last time.
Paul is the part-owner of The Soccer Tournament, a $1 million winner-take-all soccer competition that features both professional soccer players and celebrities like Pat McAfee, Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson, and Steve Nash.
Wembanyama, like most French children, grew up watching soccer and is very skilled on the pitch, and Paul wants to poach him for the summer event.
"I would love to get Wemby out there at some point," said Paul of adding more celebrities to his tournament. "This past season, as teammates during warmups, we get ready for the game, and I might be dribbling across the court, and then here comes a ball rolling across the court because Vic and a couple of my teammates will be playing soccer on the court before the game. This past season, I probably had the teammates, probably the biggest soccer fans on my team."
A "Team Spurs" would certainly add even more attention to The Soccer Tournament, which is already growing and expanding after being founded in 2023.
Paul, as one of the backers and organizers, is a little hesitant to suit up and play.
"Maybe at some point," he said. "Maybe I enter on one of these teams, one of these years, and then they just put me in for PKs."
After fans marvelled at Paul finding Wembanyama down low for easy dunks, maybe "The Point God" can transition to the pitch and find Wembanyama for headers. At 7-foot-4, it seems like he would be an easy target, even for an inexperienced soccer player.
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