SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio does not take long to welcome their newest team members.
With applause and instant adoration, San Antonio Spurs fans are open arms with new players, and veteran guard Chris Paul got his welcome to San Antonio properly: with a mural!
There are actually multiple murals of CP3, and he is well aware that fans have dotted the city with murals in his honor.
"Did not know two murals? I know of one. I saw it on social media this summer, which I'm grateful for," Paul said.
A Paul mural, created by local artist Colton Valentine, features him in his Spurs uniform surrounded by the team's Fiesta colors. The mural is located at 802 San Pedro.
Another mural, created by artist Rah Pacasso, features Paul with Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Victor Wembanyama.
Fans did not stop appreciating Paul's arrival with just murals.
The 39-year-old guard was met with loud applause and cheers when he made his Spurs debut in a preseason match versus the Magic.
"The [Spurs] fans have been amazing fans, even when I played on other teams right even back to playoffs," he said. "Even though they root against you, the fans here have always been gracious. Just genuine basketball fans."
Receiving applause instead of jeers was a welcome change for the Spurs point guard.
For years, he battled the Spurs in the regular season or the playoffs, either in a Clippers jersey in 2015 or a Hornets jersey in 2008.
Along the way, he's formed friendships within the Spurs organization and is glad to be surrounded by familiar faces.
"A lot of employees that have worked on the other side, that I've gotten to know over the years, that I go see," he said. "There's a lot of familiar faces that I get a chance to see here."
Whether he stays with the team for an entire season, partially, or beyond this upcoming season, Paul's presence will help the young Spurs.
His experience on the court and in the locker room will help team and player development well beyond his stay in San Antonio.
“He's so wise and has a lot of experience. Sometimes I get mesmerized just listening to him say things to players," Gregg Popovich said. "He makes them feel good about themselves. He's great."
As for his murals, Paul has yet to visit them in person but certainly has it on his to-do list.
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