Hey, come on.

Thanks for this, This man.

Yeah.

I am thrilled to welcome back 10 time All Star Chris Paul to the jump.

Chris, you're our very first guest on this date in 2016 when the jump debuted.

It is so great to have you join us again five years later.

Thank you, sir.

Man, No problem, Right?

It's amazing.

Don't seem like it's been that long, right?

We're all getting older.

Just don't Don't tell everyone, Chris.

It certainly does not look like you are getting older.

You are averaging more than 17 points.

Eight assists, nearly five rebounds in your 16.

I just want to know how you were even better then.

You were five years ago when we started this show.

What about your game?

Do you think you've gotten better at as you have aged?

E don't know, maybe attention to detail.

Uh, you know, just trying to make sure I take care of my body.

E.

I think that's the biggest thing.

You always wanna give yourself the opportunity to be out there on the court toe to play Andi just just learning new teammates.

The game changes or not, But you know, when you play for a while, you know the game slows down for you.

Absolutely, although I think the game always looked like that to you.

If you ask me after watching your entire career, but I'll take that, I'll take that as an answer.

The Sons, of course, haven't made the playoffs since 2010.

You've got them competing not just for a postseason berth but home court advantage in your first year with the franchise.

What are your expectations for the team this season?

We just gotta keep getting better.

Keep getting better.

Um, we have somewhat of a young team, but way have, you know, veteran leadership.

We got Jae Crowder, who played in the Finals last year, who was a great leader on our team book, who is unbelievable, and I think we just keep trying to build.

You know, we'll have some wins here.

We're gonna have some losses there, and we just gotta keep building so that when we get to the playoffs, uh, the end of the day we were ready to have each other's backs.

You know, Devin Booker tweeted back in December.

See, P put me on the line with hope today needed that for those who don't know, hope is, of course, Jay Z.

Chris.

I don't know what that moment was like in terms of seeing Devon's face, but what has it been like mentoring Booker and DeAndre through this season?

Man, it's been It's been fun and all the situations this'll season is like in unlike any other season, right?

So you don't really that time off the court and going to dinner with God.

So you just find ways.

Toe.

We get to know each other.

Um, there's a lot of games and a little bit of time.

Uh, d a.

Um is a big guy who's very impressionable and and still trying to figure out his way throughout the league.

Book is ready.

He hungry.

You know, he didn't think this league and whatnot.

I think for him he just wants to stage, and it's cool to be around him and and to see that hunger that he has and Monty Williams to this is a reuniting for you.

What shorthand do you guys have after knowing each other for so long?

And what can you say about the job?

He's done with this team?

Yeah, Coach has been been amazing.

It's crazy to think 10 years ago, uh, when when I played for him Last.

Um, there's definitely a comfort there.

We sort of know how to communicate with each other.

We learn things from the last time that, uh, teamed up together, and it's a lot of new faces with a team to new organization for me, and it's a fun process.

You're always learning.

You're always learning.

E want to ask you about what's on your sweatshirt right now, because the undefeated and ESPN plus partnering to produce, why not us?

North Carolina Central University men's Basketball.

This is an all access docuseries executive produced by the one and only Chris Paul and our very own Stephen A.

Smith as well, the first project to debut under the undefeated on ESPN.

Plus.

So, Chris, what motivated you to become involved with this project on what motivated me?

Um, you know, everyone in my family attended HBCU years except for me.

And so this paying attention to everything that was going on and knowing Lovell mode.

And I've known him for years and I follow North Carolina Central 17 state, North Carolina A and T.

I could go on and on these HBC use, but they'll just to be able to follow him and to see how he connect with the players and is more than just basketball.

It's about life.

And to be able to tell this story, um, we're extremely excited about and want to continue to tell these stories.

I'm glad you shouted out Coach moment.

He is one of the best to do it at the college level, and he's a character, too, so people are gonna love following him and his team in this docuseries.

But you've got other projects going on to.

We just learned yesterday that you're working on a new book co authored by our very own Michael Wilbon.

It's entitled 61 Life Lessons from Papa on and Off the Court, to be released in September.

What can you tell us about that?

Especially about the title, since I know it's in honor of your late grandfather.

Yeah, it's been something very fun to work on, you know, especially really closely with Mike Wilbon and my brother.

I've got a chance to learn a lot about myself and doing this?

Um, it's It's about my late grandfather who was murdered when I was in high school.

Um, I was 17 years old then.

35 now.

So I got a chance to see how that that has affected me up to this point in life.

And it's cool to be ableto share like a snapshot of my journey and what my life has been like in the things that my late grandfather instilled in me in early age.

I love being around your family.

Your brother, who you mentioned.

CJ has been incredible partner with you throughout your career.

And I'm very fund of your parents, Chris.

So I'm thrilled to hear a little bit about Maura about them in this book as well.

Five years.

It has been five years since you walked onto it.

We had a whole different set at that point.

What do you remember from that day?

Five years ago, man, I remember coming in, and he was telling me that this was the first episode, right?

It was You don't have all the bells and Wilson now, e have all that you big time now.

Rate e guest appearances day in and day out everybody trying to be on the jump.

But I think it's a testament thio game what you're doing and you know it is dope.

So big.

Shout out congratulations to you, but we appreciate that.

It is a testament to the game, to the sport, to the players who play it, because that is who people are tuning in for every day.

It was not quite me and T.

Max standing in front of a chalkboard, But you're right.

It was close.

So we appreciate the growth of the show since then, and we certainly appreciate you.

Thanks for watching ESPN on YouTube for live streaming sports and premium content, subscribe Thio, ESPN plus.