After 21 seasons in the NBA, longtime point guard and future Hall of Famer Chris Paul announced his retirement this year following a trade to the Toronto Raptors, where he was sent midseason following an unfortunate rift with the LA Clippers. Tributes from around the league have poured in, and now, an unlikely name has chimed in: Draymond Green.

“Had the opportunity to be CP’s teammate for a year,” Green said on his Draymond Green Show podcast. “One of my favorite teammates of all time. Just the way he prepares, all the knowledge that he has on and off the court, just the way he sees the game of basketball and the game of life, just having the opportunity to learn from C.”

That statement says a lot, because for years, the relationship between Green and Paul was defined by friction. The battles between the Golden State Warriors and the Clippers in the early 2010s were heated, physical games.

Later, when Paul joined James Harden and the Houston Rockets to build a juggernaut to rival the Warriors, who had added Kevin Durant, the rivalry grew. Like Green said, it was always a personal game “no matter what team he was on.”

That’s what made their one season together in Golden State so unexpected, and oddly meaningful, especially to Green, who clearly cherished Paul’s time with the team. However, his admiration didn’t just stop at the locker room, with the forward addressing the debate that has followed Paul throughout his entire career: not being able to win a championship.

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“When you compete against him, what he did with teams, he was one of the ultimate winners,” Green said. “You just need so much luck and things to go your way in order to win a championship. But man, CP one of the ultimate winners.”

Draymond Green’s Wholesome Prediction for What’s Ahead for Chris Paul

Draymond Green’s tribute to Chris Paul went beyond just the statistics, with him calling it “incredible” to compete against Paul and to have the chance to call him a friend, as well as being able to play a part in his career. However, his final message to Paul focused more on the guard’s future with his family.

“Enjoy little C games, enjoy Cam games, enjoy Jay,” Green said, referring to Paul’s family. “I know that you’re going to do that to the utmost and to the best of your ability coming from the parents that you come from though, the brother that you have and just the way you was brought up and what matters to you. I know that that’s what’s next for you.”

There was a sense of pride in Green‘s voice for his former rival and teammate, and he made sure to tip his metaphorical cap to Paul on his retirement, calling him a first-ballot Hall of Famer as soon as he becomes eligible. He concluded his message with a simple statement:

“Much love and enjoy retirement, brother. Well deserved. I will see you in Cabo.”