LeBron James had a familiar visitor on Thursday as he worked out with one of his closest friends in the NBA, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul.
James posted a video of Paul on his Instagram story as they spent time in the gym to prepare themselves for training camp and the upcoming 2019-20 regular season.
Injuries kept James and Paul off the court for significant amounts of time last season.
After missing a number of games during the 2018-19 season because of a groin injury, the Los Angeles Lakers forward definitely could use a lot of preparation time before the games begin. The 2018-19 season was the first time in his career that he played in less than 60 games, appearing in only 55 contests.
Nevertheless, the 16-year veteran still produced MVP-type numbers when he was on the court with averages of 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game.
Paul, however, saw his scoring dip quite a bit last season. Playing in only 58 games for the second straight year with the Houston Rockets, he averaged a career-low 15.6 points to go along with 4.6 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 2.0 steals a game.
The nine-time All-Star was traded to the Thunder this offseason in a blockbuster deal that sent Russell Westbrook to the Rockets.
While it seems rather unlikely, there have been whispers about Paul possibly ending up on the Lakers sometime this season. That would likely require him to take a significant pay cut in a buyout with the Thunder.
Still, if he is determined to winning a championship before calling it a career, playing alongside the likes of James and Lakers big man Anthony Davis could be a great way to try to accomplish that goal.
