SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Spurs' Chris Paul made it clear he did not come to San Antonio to be a coach.
For him, it was all about playing time and a starting role, unlike what he had played for the Warriors last season.
But don't tell that to Julian Champagnie, who sees the NBA veteran more than just his Spurs teammate.
"Like a coach," he said. "Like a coach and a friend all in one. He's like a know it all kind of guy, like you go to him for anything. I can go to him for anything. I feel like he would generally know what answer to give me, but especially on the court."
Paul has been what this team needed - a floor general, a player who has been through wars on the court and who can inject much-needed court knowledge the young Spurs can use.
On the court, Paul tells his teammates where to be, when to foul, and basically, the little things that could be the difference between a win and a loss.
"You hear his voice like he just 'go, here, go there, back up, foul here, foul there,' Champagnie said. "It's just stuff like that, the little things, things that coach says, but we can't hear coach from the court, but Chris is right there."
On the bench, Paul is precisely as he is on the court. He guides the team and imparts his knowledge.
"When it comes to basketball, on the bench, talking about basketball, he just knows the game," he said.
Paul isn't the grumpy 39-year-old veteran surrounded by teammates mostly in their 20s that some might think he'd be after playing the game for so long.
The young Spurs have fun with him in the locker room, and he is a good sport.
Following the Spurs' win over Houston Saturday night, Jeremy Sochan went wild with excitement over Paul's postgame outfit, which featured him wearing a golf-themed red and white varsity jacket.
Like a good sport, he showed it off to Sochan, smiled, and insisted that Sochan see "State Farm" embroidered on his jacket.
He also had fun with how his teammates call him "unc" (short for "uncle"), which was started by 19-year-old rookie Stephon Castle.
Paul's veteran presence isn't just about X's and O's; it goes beyond that, and the Spurs appreciate it.
"We respect him," said Champagnie. "We respect him a lot. Obviously, it's Chris Paul."
What do you think, Spurs fans? Let us know on X at @KENS5 and @JeffGSpursKENS5.