Clippers G and recently elected NBPA President CHRIS PAUL was profiled on HBO's "Real Sports" last night, and HBO's Mary Carillo said it "was just this kind of guy, the kind who brings his kids to post-game press conferences, that his fellow NBA players thought should be their leader." The union is "in turmoil and in need of guidance." Paul's wife, JADA, said, "The guys look up to him. They need a leader and he's a natural leader." Carillo added Paul is "charged with reviving the union and leading the longest-suffering team in the NBA to the top," and if he succeeds, Paul "may just make himself a hero." Following the taped profile, HBO's Bryant Gumbel noted the NBPA President position is a "pretty thankless job" and wondered why Paul wanted it. Carillo noted Paul had served as NBPA VP for four years, to which Gumbel said, "But vice presidents don't do a whole lot." Carillo: "Well, he knows his way around those rooms, doesn't he, and I think he really cares. He wants to change the image of the NBA. The lockout took a lot of the starch out of a lot of those players. He wants to bring them all back into the fold and I think he's probably a good guy to do that" ("Real Sports," HBO, 10/22).
