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CHRIS PAUL NAMED TO ALL-NBA SECOND TEAM

The NBA announced today Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul has been named to the 2020-21 All-NBA Second Team, his 10th career All-NBA selection and ninth time to the First or Second Team.

Paul helped the Suns to a Pacific Division title and the league’s second-best record this season, averaging 16.4 points on 49.9% shooting from the field, 39.5% from three-point range plus a league-leading and career-best 93.4% from the free throw line. He also ranked second in the NBA with a 3.99 assist-to-turnover ratio, third with 8.9 assists per game and 16th with 1.41 steals per game.

While the All-NBA honor recognizes play in the regular season, Paul has continued to excel in the playoffs; he is averaging 15.7 points on 50.9% from the field, 44.4% from three-point range and 91.2% from the line, plus 8.7 assists and a 6.21 assist-to-turnover ratio through 10 postseason games as the Suns have advanced to the Western Conference Finals. Paul averaged 25.5 points (62.7 FG%, 75.0 3P%, 100 FT%) plus 10.3 assists and just 1.3 turnovers in the series victory over Denver in the West Semis. 

With his ninth career selection to the All-NBA First or Second Team, Paul joins Bob Cousy (12), Oscar Robertson (11) and Magic Johnson (10) as the only point guards in NBA history with at least nine career selections to the First or Second Team. Paul becomes just the 24th player in NBA history with at least 10 career All-NBA selections, and only the second active player in double figures along with LeBron James. This is his second straight season being named All-NBA Second Team after earning the honor with Oklahoma City for 2019-20.  

Paul is the first Suns player to be named All-NBA since Goran Dragić was selected to the Third Team in 2013-14 and he is the first Sun to be named to the First or Second Team since Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire were both selected to the All-NBA Second Team in 2009-10. 

Paul received 23 First Team votes in the panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters as he totaled 311 vote points. Suns guard Devin Booker also received votes totaling 21 points, fourth-most of any guard not selected All-NBA. Booker averaged 25.6 points on 48.4% shooting this season; he and Utah’s Donovan Mitchell this season become the only two of 45 players since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976 to average 25-plus points on a team that finished with one of the league’s top two records and not be named to the All-NBA First or Second Team.