“Damian Lillard Calling, Then It’s LeBron then Adam Silver”: Teary-Eyed Chris Paul Remembers Effect of Gun Violence on NBA Colleagues

Published 06/08/2023, 6:20 AM EDT

The COVID-19 epidemic presented the NBA with unprecedented difficulties, making it difficult for them to resume the 2019–2020 season. The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) president Chris Paul was instrumental in making the NBA bubble a reality. Paul’s perseverance and leadership were crucial in successfully finishing the season. However, there were additional delays during the playoffs prompted by off-court issues. Paul was also crucial in getting the games restarted after the Milwaukee Bucks‘ protest in response to gun violence.

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Paul recently recounted with tears in his eyes how gun violence took a toll on his NBA colleagues. He received calls from Damian Lillard, LeBron James, and even Adam Silver.

Chris Paul teared up while talking about gun violence

The fatal shooting of African American Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August 2020, shocked the nation as a whole. As a result, the Milwaukee Bucks took a historic decision to sit out their playoff game against the Orlando Magic. This spurred the league’s players to join the protest and bring attention to the urgent problems in the country by boycotting the games. Chris Paul recently opened up about how this affected his colleagues in the league in a recent episode of ‘The Pivot Podcast‘. He revealed that he and Andre Iguodala met with a couple of teams who were contemplating playing their games the day after the incident.

The next day, Paul and his teammates were on their bus to play against the Houston Rockets when they got to know about Milwaukee’s stance. Following this, he received calls from many of his colleagues. He said, “My phone started ringing. It’s Damian Lillard calling, Dennis, and LeBron calling. Then Adam Silver called me right, like back to back to back. Because somebody got to do something.”

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Following this, he set up a meeting with his colleagues to let Adam Silver know that they weren’t going to play that night. The coaches and the referees soon joined the players. Paul further spoke about how some coaches gave some powerful statements. The NBA players came together and took a major step, something unprecedented from Major American League players.

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The Milwaukee Bucks players’ walkout strike and the ensuing show of support from athletes forever changed history. Paul recounted the incident again and again pointing out the fact that someone had to do something and they did.

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Written by:

Ranjitha Ramesh is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. With a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, Ranjitha has a strong foundation in reporting and writing. Her passion for basketball, particularly the Lakers and LeBron James, fuels her desire to delve into the lifestyle and off-court activities of NBA stars.

Edited by:

Pragya Vashisth

“Damian Lillard Calling, Then It’s LeBron then Adam Silver”: Teary-Eyed Chris Paul Remembers Effect of Gun Violence on NBA Colleagues

Chris Paul teared up while talking about gun violence

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