Chris Paul lost to Deron Williams in the final round of the 2008 Skills Challenge. Here’s what CP3 said after the event:

Q: What are your thoughts on your rivalry with Deron Williams?

Chris Paul: Always, always. But it was fun. That was my first time getting to the second round. You know, I thought I had a shot going second, but then he got 25.8 and I can’t mess up. He set the bar real high but it was fun.

Q: What do you remember the most from watching All-Star Weekend when you were a kid?

Paul: Just all the excitement behind this and seeing all the glitz and glamor and flashing lights - and now to be a part of it is something that I would have never imagined.

Q: Is there one player you always looked up to and were amazed by?

Paul: MJ, all day long. It seems like he won MVP every year or the dunk contest or something like that. To actually know him on a personal basis now makes it even crazier.

Q: If you could add an event or change something about this weekend, what would it be?

Paul: Probably “Horse.” I play “Horse” just about every day with one of my teammates, Jannero Pargo, so we have a lot of crazy shots we do.