Chris Paul Says He Was 'Blessed and Fortunate' to Talk to Jacob Blake's Father

Oklahoma City Thunder star Chris Paul got emotional speaking to reporters Friday when talking about a conversation he had with Jacob Blake's father, who shares his name. 

Paul said he was "blessed and fortunate" to speak with the elder Blake recently:

The younger Blake remains hospitalized and is paralyzed from the waist down after being shot in the back seven times by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Aug. 23. 

Paul, who was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and attended college in the city at Wake Forest, noted that the elder Blake graduated from Winston-Salem State University. 

Per Clare Proctor of the Chicago Sun-Times, the elder Blake currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is currently in Kenosha to be with his son. Proctor noted that the younger Blake spent part of his youth in Winston-Salem.

Blake's shooting spurred the Milwaukee Bucks to refuse to play their playoff game against the Orlando Magic in protest on Wednesday. The NBA later postponed all three games that day, as well as those scheduled for Thursday and Friday. 

The Athletic's Joe Vardon, Shams Charania, and Sam Amick reported Paul and Andre Iguodala convinced their fellow players to resume playing by emphasizing they could lose "the strength of the platform they have in the bubble to continue to push for the changes they want."

The NBA and NBPA announced Friday the postseason would resume, with additional agreed-upon initiatives focused on having the league and team owners increasing voting access and help raise awareness of social justice causes.