Don't need to be tall to excel in basketball: Chris Paul

Updated on: 13 February,2011 08:24 AM IST |
Vivek Ajinkya |

American basketball star, Chris Paul says youngsters in India need to be educated about basketball for the sport to grow here

American basketball star, Chris Paul says youngsters in India need to be educated about basketball for the sport to grow here.

"For the sport to grow, first one has to educate the kids about it. Only with proper training and constant encouragement will they improve.
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Paul slammed the view that basketball is predominantly a tall man's game. "One doesn't need to be 6 feet, 5 inches tall to be a ball player. Your hard work gets you there, not your height," Paul told Sunday MiD DAY.

The New Orleans Hornets point guard admits it's the encouragement he got as a kid that helped him excel in the sport. "My brother and I would play basketball in the backyard all day long. My dad is a sports fanatic and he encouraged us and gave us freedom to choose sport as a career," said Paul, who also played American football in college.

The 25-year-old turned an Olympic gold winner when United States of America clinched gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

He was voted the starting point guard for the 2011 Western Conference All-Star Team last month. This will be Paul's fourth appearance as an All-Star and second as a starter.

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