LA Clippers: Chris Paul hates losing more than he loves winning
By Tom West
LA Clippers point guard Chris Paul joined J.J. Redick’s podcast to discuss a number of topics, including his fierce competitiveness and how he hates losing more than he enjoys winning.
Chris Paul‘s competitiveness can be misinterpreted at times. Sometimes, people think he’s bothering his teammates or that he’s overly complement, but everything in Paul’s character on the court comes down to how insanely driven he is to practice, prepare, and win. When he joined J.J. Redick‘s latest podcast for The Vertical, Paul discussed everything from how he and Redick used to hate each other in college, the LA Clippers, to how he hates losing even more than he loves winning. Paul’s reaction to a loss is greater than that of a win, and he explained why:
"JJ: I guess is it hard then to repetitively do the same things over and over, and they’re not easy things to do, because they do require a lot of discipline and a lot of perseverance. Is it hard to do those things over and over, and not get that carrot, that carrot that you’re looking for, that reward? Which, for us, is an NBA championship.CP: Oh, it’s tough, but you got no choice. You know what I mean? If you really want it that bad.JJ: Have you ever been discouraged enough, where you considered, like, maybe it’s not worth it? Maybe I can take a little less?CP: Hell no.JJ: Really?CP: No. Heck no. I’m just not wired like that. I’ve said it for a long time: I hate to lose more than I like to win. You know what I mean? I don’t know if it makes sense at all, but it makes sense to me. Some people win and they celebrate. They’re like, “heck yeah, I won.” But, for me, I just hate to lose."
Redick and Paul went on to talk about how you deal with an incomplete feeling when losing, and that you can’t help but feel sickened when watching others celebrate a championship in the summer.
That’s part of the reason for why Paul despises losing, probably on a greater level than others in the league. Especially because he’s experienced several devastating losses in the playoffs, not to mention being ruled out with injury in Game 4 of the first round this year.
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When a player strives for perfection in their game as much as Redick and Paul do, and has the fierce competitiveness that Paul displays on the court and explained in this conversation, that kind of reaction to losing is inevitable.
Paul also said that he works so hard to perfect his game, whether it’s his mid-range game or three-point shot, that he expects to make the shots he takes. He also expects to win because he does everything he can to prepare for it. So, when handling a loss, Paul said he sees that as a more of a shock, simply because it’s not what he’s preparing and working so hard for.
Even though Chris Paul may not be in his physical prime at 31, he’s hardly slowing down that much. He averaged 19.5 points, 10 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game with ease last season, recording his highest PER (26.2) in three years.
With his relentless drive to succeed, he’ll be hoping that his LA Clippers can finally have a healthy playoff run this time around.