Video: Chris Paul is the NBA's Most Important Player

By being President of the players' union during the COVID-19 crisis Chris Paul has become the most important player in the NBA.

Chis Paul is the most important player in the NBA.  As President of the players' association, it's Paul who is having weekly conversations with Adam Silver and spending his morning and afternoons on the phone conducting union business. 

When the NBA was shutting down in March, Paul was at ground zero communicating with the union's Executive Director Michelle Roberts. Even with his busy schedule of homeschooling his kids, trying to get ready for the resumption of the season and Spanish lessons, Paul is always making time to talk with his fellow association members. 

Roberts says, "He's never said, 'Can I get back to you?' Never." However, the NBA decides to return this Thursday Paul voice will be the liaison between the league and its players.  Royce Young of ESPN reports that while Paul is responsible for the 450 players in the association, he was also orchestrating Zoom calls with his teammates to help the Thunder stay focused. 

The 2020 playoffs will be unlike any in NBA history, and #Rockets GM Daryl Morey believes the extended layoff could ultimately help Houston.

"Anything that adds uncertainty to the system is generally good for us."https://t.co/ReXBAokjCa

— Michael Shapiro (@mshap2) May 31, 2020

Paul says, "The thing we're trying to do now is just keep the dialogue going," Paul said. "And if we do get back to playing, [we don't] have to try and pick it up then."Like, 'Yo, what up man, what you been doing for the last eight weeks?'"

Paul's tenure as the union's President ends in 2021; he's 35, and he may not want another four-year term. If that's the case, Paul can leave the office with his head held high, knowing helped get the NBA back on track during one of its darkest times. 

Mark Cuban Changes Tune:

After campaigning for all 30 teams to come back to Orlando and finish out the regular season, Mark Cuban is back to talking about player safety. Cuban tells Rachel Nichols, "The only certainty I have is that it's going to be safety first."... "Once we feel more confident there, then we can start drilling down on final decisions on dates and places and teams."

NBA Draft seems destined for late September. https://t.co/gmBuHjvQK3

— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) May 30, 2020

When it comes to players having questions about their safety, Cuban says honesty is the best way to deal with any anxiety. "Just honest and transparent." Where they have questions without answers, we tell em exactly what we know, and that's the only way to do it." ..."The science keeps on getting better, and we keep on learning more every day."...  "So, between the decision point and we actually start, we have the opportunity to see improvements there as well."

If a player doesn't want to play, What should happen to his contract status, Cuban says that is a CBA issue and should be addressed by the league and the players union. 

Cuban also believes the season can resume as late as August 1st  "We have time because we don't have all the travel restrictions.