Five winners of the NBA’s 2020 bubble postseason

4. Chris Paul

It was already a magical season when Chris Paul positioned the Oklahoma City Thunder for an unexpected playoff appearance. The aging veteran in search of greener pastures made the most of a situation many believed would be short-lived.

Paul was then instrumental as the president of the NBPA in working with the league to pull off one of the most impressive accomplishments in sports history. Daily phone calls and zoom meetings were needed, but CP3 led the charge from the player’s end to bring basketball back.

Then the playoffs began and Paul and the Thunder found themselves with long odds against the Houston Rockets, even without Russell Westbrook to start the series.

OKC fell down 0-2 before winning two straight to tie the series. They came within a game of elimination before forcing a Game 7 thanks to Paul’s 28 points in Game 6. The eliminating loss was heartbreaking but the effort commendable in a narrow two-point defeat. Paul showed out once again with 19 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds.

For all the talk of Paul’s decline before the season, the playoffs did plenty to showcase what he has left to give. He nearly took down the team that viewed him as damaged goods, surpassing LeBron James as the oldest player to ever register a triple-double in a Game 7.

His guidance ensured the NBA’s return, affording a platform he then used to further drum up interest for potential trade suitors this offseason. No matter where Paul ends up, that’s certainly time well spent.