Suns Guard Chris Paul Praises LeBron James' Longevity

Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul shared some nice words on LeBron James as he inches closer to breaking the NBA's scoring record.

On the brink of history, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has been the focus of attention for much of this season. Many NBA players congratulated him on his insane career, as he is on the verge of breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time record for NBA scoring. Phoenix Suns point guard - and James' lifelong friend Chris Paul - was the last to share a few words about the superstar.

“It’s crazy,” Paul said via Duane Rankin of AZ Central. “There’s been a lot of basketball played. Since we was in eighth grade, Nationals, and all that. You dream and hope to want to do this. I remember us being on vacation with Melo [Carmelo Anthony] and D-Wade [Dwyane Wade], we sort of talked about this years ago, and for him to finally be here just shows the longevity, the commitment to every day, to being prepared, being ready. It’s going to be dope. 

"I was hoping we weren’t gonna have a game on the day he broke the record so I could try to be there, but the dates don’t align right now. But yeah, it’s going to be dope. He’s going to shatter that record. Kind of like Steph [Stephen Curry] doing the three-point thing, he’s going to shatter it.”

"I remember us being on vacation with Melo and D-Wade, we talked about this some years ago."

Chris Paul on LeBron James becoming #NBA all-time scoring leader.

"Hoping we wasn't going to have a game the day he broke the record so I could try to be there. The dates don't align." pic.twitter.com/fEwwulfHYZ

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) February 1, 2023

Paul and James have been friends for years, although they have never played on the same team. However, these comments come shortly after Paul was connected with the Lakers as a possible replacement for Russell Westbrook.

“The Lakers are fighting to climb into the top 10 in the Western Conference. While coach Darvin Ham has found a viable role for Westbrook off the bench, the franchise does have concerns about his playoff viability, per multiple sources,” Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus wrote. 

“If L.A. moves Westbrook, the team needs to replace his shot creation. Though later in his career, Paul would be an upgrade. He has a strong relationship with James and gives the Lakers financial flexibility with two additional seasons (the last one at $30 million is non-guaranteed). Health is always a concern when a player nears 40, but it might be a risk the team needs to take to have a better chance of postseason success.”

The Suns are 27-26 after a 32-point loss [132-100] against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night. They take on the Boston Celtics tonight for the first of a five-game road trip.