How Chris Paul's Elite Guard camp played a role in Stephen Curry's development

IN 2008, THREE years after being drafted No. 4 overall by the Oklahoma City Hornets, then-New Orleans Pelicans point guard Chris Paul launched his CP3 Elite Guard camp in his hometown of Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Two dozen of the top high school and college guards in the country traveled to the Gateway YMCA for the two-day event, which was, and still is, a family affair self-funded and run by Chris; his brother, C; and their father, Charles.

An hour southwest, down I-40 and I-77, one of the first participants of Paul's camp was quietly playing some of the best college basketball in the country at Davidson College.

Fellow North Carolina native and point guard Stephen Curry was coming off a sophomore season in which he averaged 25.9 points per game and led the Wildcats to the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament.

"Going to his camp, following in his shadow after I got drafted, before my rookie year, he taught me what it was like to work and prepare for an NBA season; the time and attention to detail that you needed to put in," Curry told ESPN.

Curry, who started his own annual summer camp in 2014 for elite high school prospects in Alameda, California, called The Steph Curry Camp, said attending Paul's camp helped prepare him for the NBA.

Since being drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 2009, Curry and Paul have shared the court more than 50 times as competitors. But now, for the first time in their respective careers, the two future Hall of Fame point guards will play alongside each other this fall for the Warriors -- years after Paul was the teacher, Curry the student.

"It's a beautiful thing about basketball, you can't write these narratives," Curry said. "To go full circle, we've had a lot of battles over the years. He's in Year 18, I'm going into Year 15, it's amazing we have an opportunity to play together, and hopefully win at the highest level. He's super competitive, and so am I."

THE ATTENDEES OF Paul's Elite Guard camp read like an All-Star roster: Ja Morant, Trae Young, Jamal Murray, Kemba Walker, Donovan Mitchell, Bradley Beal, De'Aaron Fox and CJ McCollum are just some of the players to have seen the court over the years. Some 90 others have gone on to play in the NBA as well. And in the case of Morant, it was an almost literal springboard for his career: A viral dunk at Paul's 2018 camp served as most people's introduction to the Murray State guard.

One of Ja Morant's many highlights from the CP3 Camp last summer, as mentioned on the broadcast. https://t.co/JOIwiyhlxm pic.twitter.com/cn4kiWmqBK

— Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) March 21, 2019

"I remember when he came to camp, a lot of people didn't know who he was," Paul told ESPN. "And as soon as he left camp, he was on everybody's radar and he moved up to the top point guard in the country. And definitely not because of me, but if I could be a part of his story, then I appreciate it."

Paul puts his campers through drills, matches up against them in competitive scrimmages with NBA players such as DeMar DeRozan, Coby White and Collin Gillespie, and conducts intricate film study sessions where he breaks down the art of playing and defending the pick-and-roll, both on and off the ball.

"I try to give them time and real-life experiences," Paul said. "I'm trying to be a vessel to help them in their journey.

"As a kid when I was coming into this, I didn't have somebody who was coming to the gym with me and giving me that type of real-life stuff aside from just trying to be the best basketball player. So it's always been about learning the ins and outs of the game, but also just about life. I just want to be someone they can talk to."

This year's camp was well-attended by NBA scouts and executives and run in part by a dozen NBA assistant coaches who helped develop the curriculum, oversee the drills and ensure the campers were given the tools they need to be successful.

Duke's Jared McCain was the biggest standout of this year's camp, drawing comparisons from NBA scouts in attendance to Jalen Brunson and Malcolm Brogdon with his physical, cerebral style of play. Michigan State's A.J. Hoggard also helped his standing, showcasing his excellent size, strength, ability to play at different speeds and craft as a finisher and passer.

Neither backed down from Paul at any point over the two days, relishing the opportunity to post him up, defend him one-on-one, talk after big plays and bring a physical, aggressive style that was appreciated by the future Hall of Famer.

"It's one thing to coach them and tell them what you see, but they all really love to compete against you," Paul said. "Who knows how many more years I'm going to play ... but I can't imagine a day that I can't get out there and play with them. Players want to see you do the work. It's always been cool and very important for me to not only have the camp, but to get out there and play with them, and let them know that I'm doing the work just like them."

AFTER THREE SEASONS on the Phoenix Suns, Paul was traded this offseason -- twice. The Washington Wizards acquired Paul in a three-team deal with the Suns and Indiana Pacers that saw All-Star guard Bradley Beal land in Phoenix. Less than two weeks later, Paul was traded by the Wizards to the Warriors for guard Jordan Poole. The 38-year-old is transitioning to his new situation with the Warriors, who are attempting to prolong their championship window with franchise stalwarts Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.