Chris Paul, 12-time All-Star for the Phoenix Suns, was the inaugural recipient of the Kobe & Gigi Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award for his “significant contributions to the advancement of girls’ and women’s basketball, and advocacy for the WNBA.”  The WNBA and Vanessa Bryant presented Paul the award at Sunday’s NBA All-Star at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert in a news release:  “I have seen first-hand Chris’ appreciation of the WNBA and the game at every level for women and girls, especially in Phoenix and North Carolina, and his ardent support of our game strongly reflects the legacy of Kobe and Gigi. The league is proud to name Chris as the inaugural recipient of the Kobe & Gigi Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award, as he serves as a leader and role model for other professional athletes around growing the future of the game for young girls and all fans.”

Said Paul:  “I’m excited about seeing the growth in the women’s game. I’m a big fan of the W. It’s probably been the funniest year, and last year having the WNBA team right there in our home city. I tell people, I don’t know if I tell people all the time, but the day I got traded to Phoenix, I got to Phoenix, and I worked out on one side of the court, and on the other court (Phoenix Mercury’s) Diana Taurasi was working out. I’ll never forget that image in my head. We don’t really get to do that in the league.”

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