DC SoCal Stories: Spotting Chris Paul

A DC SPORTS SPECIAL
BY DC CUEVA                     
■ @DC408Dxtr  @ TW / IG / YT

The weekend of June 8-11th was one I'll never forget. There, I had the esteemed opportunity to travel down to Southern California for the first time in 15 years as I went with my kids, my sister and her husband to that magical place known as the Disneyland Resort, and it was for my niece's ninth birthday. This was the first time in 20 years that I've been to the Magic Kingdom, and had my work cut out in not only experiencing the rides and attractions at the Park, California Adventure and Downtown Disney, but also documenting that for my social media crowd. You'll see the results of my adventures and what I captured with my camera in the coming weeks on YouTube, Flickr, Instagram and other social media platforms.

On Friday morning of the four-day weekend came the highlight of this vacation for me, and it came on the same day as Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Of course, that night became remembered for both the offensive onslaught of the Cavs that delayed, for one game at least, the Warriors' crowning moment and Kevin Durant's first title, and also for the laughingstock that was the officiating in Cleveland. As if we were back home watching it in our living room like we always do, we watched that game with great interest during a break from our visit in our hotel room across the street from Disneyland along with my cousin and her kids, who reside in the Los Angeles area with her husband.
   But hours before that game went down in Believe Land, there was the spotting inside California Adventure. We were walking along the Boardwalk going about our usual thing of checking out the park and soaking in the atmosphere of being in the other park of The Happiest Place on Earth when my brother in law hinted something to me. The person was of particular interest to us because our entire family are basketball enthusiasts and not just fans of the Warriors - and us wearing Warriors apparel on what could've been a potential chance to close out the NBA title.
   There, he (It's best for me to to keep him nameless on the sake of anonymity) told me that there was a NBA player standing in front of a carousel... and his name was Chris Paul. Yes, that same CP3 who came to Los Angeles anyway after a trade from New Orleans that would've sent him to the Lakers was nixed by then commissioner David Stern, but instead came to the other team in the City of Angels, the Clippers. And in something that would've been hard to believe some twenty years ago, the team that was the laughingstock of not just the NBA but of the entire LA sports scene back then would ultimately take over their cross-arena and more storied counterparts competitively.

When I saw CP3, I kept my composure of not getting too careless and jumping up for joy but took pictures of him like a member of the infamous paparazzi but making sure to keep my distance. However, a SnapChat post by Chris posted on that site eventually caught my niece's feet while he was having some food. That was part of a day of taking video and photos for his social media sites as he was going about an offseason that -- as we talk to you here on this NBA Awards night of Monday, June 26 -- has become very eventful and could mean the end of his stint in Los Angeles. And this was the second major sports star to head to a theme park down in SoCal: the previous day, soccer megastar Neymar was kicking it at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
   Of course, within about four hours after that went down, I posted that picture of CP3 for all of you to check out on Instagram and on my social networks. But something that bothers me is actually squandering the chance at getting his autograph and/or taking a picture of him. Usually when I'm in Las Vegas or in this case being in the Southland where so many celebrities, athletes and like call home, I would keep an autograph book and a Sharpie in my pocket at all times in the event I get to run into them. The last time something like this took place was in 2010 in Las Vegas when, during the best trip I have ever had in going to Las Vegas with my entire family of cousins, we got to meet former boy band member Joey Fatone. As I was packing for my trip, I forgot to pack Sharpie pens in my suitcase and didn't buy one in the gift store in our hotel lobby.
   So, in seeing some of the photos below of two fans meeting him up, as well as not having a Sharpie pen, I basically squandered a chance at glory of having to take a picture with one of the NBA's biggest stars. Plus, it would have been a bit awkward to have to take that ultimate DC Selfie with an NBA superstar in wearing a shirt bearing the logo of one of the Clippers' great rivals as well. But, it was nonetheless a surreal moment to spot an NBA superstar... a highlight of DC SoCal.


Here are my two photos of CP3... please credit me if you use them.

Now, some of his SnapChat posts, starting with the one featuring my niece's feet, located at the bottom right of his food picture.

And lastly, two of those lucky fans who met him, courtesy of Instagram... I was not one of them (would've gotten some hate from the Clipper fans and love from Dub Nation had it gone down).

- I AM DC