His dad is a 12-time NBA all-star, but Chris Paul II plans to stay on his own path

As the son of 12-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul, who sponsors the AAU basketball team he plays for, it’s safe to assume Chris Paul II faces high expectations.

But as Chris Paul II and his AAU basketball coach — former Victory Christian and Charlotte 49ers basketball standout Dejuan Harris — will tell you, the younger Paul is determined to carve his own path.

“I’ve just tried to block out all of the noise since I was little and stay in my lane and stay on my path,” Chris Paul II said after a game in last weekend’s Phenom Hoops Grassroots Tip-Off Classic in Rock Hill, S.C. “I focus on trying to win for my team.”

A 6-foot freshman point guard for Campbell Hall School in Studio City, California, Chris Paul II has to fly across the country just to play for his father’s CP3 AAU teams that were founded in 2006.

This past season, he helped the Campbell Hall School Vikings to a 19-10 overall record and third place finish in the Gold Coast Conference.

This spring and summer, Chris Paul II will fly virtually every week from Los Angeles to North Carolina to play for his AAU team while also visiting with family and friends.

“When people ask me where I’m from, I say North Carolina but I live in L.A.,” said Chris Paul II, who is 15 years old. “About once a week I come back and forth to see my grandparents and my cousins and work with my guys to get better and better.”

Harris has coached for CP3 for five years but this is his first season coaching Chris Paul II.

“Honestly, the biggest thing for him is in not trying to follow his father’s footsteps and create his own journey,” Harris said. “I think a lot of kids hurt themselves when they try to live up to certain things that people put on them.

“We do understand that it’s Chris Paul’s son. But Chris Paul Jr. can have his own success story and his own journey. And since he has a dad who’s a Hall of Fame player, he’s got somebody who can help guide him along the way.”

Chris Paul II says he grew up playing baseball, basketball and soccer before focusing on basketball as a sixth-grader.

With his father playing his 21st NBA season, Chris Paul II says the summer months are when he gets to spend time the most time with his dad.

“My dad lives in San Antonio now and I don’t get to see him as much,” Chris Paul II said of his father, who is in his second season playing for the Spurs. “I get to see him in the summers and don’t take that time for granted.

“I study point guards a lot. Dejuan has helped me a lot. He and my dad are trying to make me a better point guard and a floor general that helps my teammates all the time.”

Wake Forest fans will obviously hope the son might follow his father’s footsteps as far as a college choice but Chris Paul II says recruiting isn’t on his mind at this point.

“It’s a little too early but I hope to keep showcasing my skills and keep playing good and that’ll take care of itself,” Chris Paul II said. “I just want to go somewhere where they want me and have a good relationship with the coach.

“I’m still young and am working to see what I’ve got to do. I want to see who wants me and where I can make an impact.”