Paul spectator again at Cowboys Stadium
February 15, 2010
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP)—Chris Paul(notes) was a spectator once again Sunday at CowboysStadium.
The New Orleans point guard, who had surgery on his left knee Feb. 4,watched Sunday night’s All-Star Game in a suit and tie from the WesternConference bench.
Paul and his Hornets teammates experienced the sights and sounds of theexpansive football stadium when they attended the Dallas Cowboys home gameagainst the San Diego Chargers on Dec. 13, a day before they played theMavericks in Dallas.
The three-time All-Star would have preferred to be part of the action onSunday.
“It’s tough,” Paul said. “I definitely wanted to be out there with thetop players in the league. But it’s still a huge honor. It’s always good to berecognized.”
Paul has been working out in hopes of getting back on the court. He wasworking out last Sunday when the New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl. With theSaints having won their first Super Bowl, does that put extra pressure on theNBA’s Hornets to win a title of their own?
No way, Paul says.
“If anything, it helps us,” Paul said. “I guess you have to be in NewOrleans to understand. It’s unlike any other place. It’s one big family.Everybody is so tight. The Saints and the Hornets are one big family. We supportthe Saints, they support us.”
The Hornets will need Paul at full strength if they want to have a chance toreach the same heights as the Saints.
Paul is expected to be out another three to five weeks.
“I’m happy the injury isn’t as bad as it could have been,” Paul said.
HOWARD VS. SHAQ: Orlando’s Dwight Howard(notes) said he was surprised ShaquilleO’Neal(notes) took a verbal swipe at him after the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Magicon Thursday night.
“It didn’t sit well with me personally,” Howard said. “I’m a young playertrying to get to where he’s at. I felt it would be better if he tried to help meinstead of trying to put me down.”
O’Neal held Howard scoreless in the final minutes of Cleveland’s 115-106victory over Orlando
When talking to reporters after Thursday’s game, O’Neal added to the ongoingrivalry when he told reporters after Thursday’s game that he was “offended”being compared to Howard. The two players have shared the “Superman” nickname,and Shaq added “You tell me who the real Superman is.”
“I would just expect someone like him to help me and mold me into theplayer that he’s become,” Howard said.
NO SHAQ, NO KOBE: The All-Star game was played without both Kobe Bryant(notes) andShaquille O’Neal for the first time since 1997.
Bryant was voted in as Western Conference starter by the fans, but he missedthe game with a sore left ankle. He didn’t make the squad as a rookie in 1997.This would have been Bryant’s 12th straight All-Star appearance if he hadplayed.
O’Neal was selected to the squad as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers in1997, but he did not participate in that game.
This was only the second time in O’Neal’s 18-year career he wasn’t chosen toplay in the All-Star game.
QUICK HITS: Saturday night’s All-Star broadcast on TNT was the secondmost-watched night in the event’s 25-year history, delivering a 3.1 U.S.household rating, nearly 5.5 million total viewers and 3.6 million households.Last season’s event was the prior most watched in the league’s history. …Dwight Howard hit a 3-pointer in the first quarter. He is 1 of 16 in his careerin the regular season.
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