Paul makes All-NBA team

• Advocate news services
• Published: May 9, 2008 - Page: 7C - UPDATED: 12:30 a.m.

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NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul was selected to the 2007-08 All-NBA first team on Thursday. Paul is the first Hornet in franchise history to receive the honor.

“It is a true honor to be selected to the All-NBA first team and to be recognized in the same company as the other four players who made the first team,” Paul said.

“I have to give a lot of credit to my teammates and coaches who have helped me along the way.”

Paul is joined by unanimous selection and NBA Most Valuable Player Kobe Bryant of the Lakers, as well as Kevin Garnett of the Celtics, Dwight Howard of the  Magic and LeBron James of the Cavaliers.

“It is great for Chris to be recognized after having one of the best regular seasons for a point guard in NBA history,” coach Byron Scott said.

“He is the leader of our team and he showed it every night.”

The Hornets have had two second-team picks (Larry Johnson 92-93, Glen Rice 96-97) and five third-team honorees (Anthony Mason 96-97, Glen Rice 97-98, Eddie Jones 99-00, Jamal Mashburn 02-03, Baron Davis 03-04) in franchise history.

Paul earns his first All-NBA selection after leading the New Orleans Hornets to their first Southwest Division title and the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

Paul paced the league in assists (11.6 apg) and steals (2.7 spg), becoming the first player since John Stockton in 1992 to lead the NBA in both categories the same season.

 He also averaged a team-high 21.1 points per game.

This season, Paul became the second player since Steve Nash (during the 2006-07 season) to average at least 11.5 assists for a season in the last 13 years. Paul was the seventh player (first since Magic Johnson in 1986-87) to score over 20 points a game while also leading the league in assists and was the first player in NBA history to lead the league in assists and steals while scoring 20 or more points per game. Paul is the first player ever to average at least 21 points, 11 assists and 2.7 steals per game during the regular season.

Paul re-wrote seven franchise records, as well as holding the NBA season single-game high for steals in a game with nine. Paul’s record-breaking season has continued into the playoffs as he scored 35 points and handed out 10 assists in his first NBA playoff game, becoming first player in NBA history to have at least 35 points and at least 10 assists in his playoff debut.

Only three other players in NBA history scored 35 or more points in their playoff debut and won the game.