FirstCuts: Chris Paul Honors 8-Year Old Boy

For the most part, I try not to get too wrapped up in whether an athlete is a “good person.” Honestly, we never really know what 99 percent of athletes are like, and even when we think we know, we don’t. (Roger Clemens, anyone?) But I’ve got to say, Chris Paul seems like an outstanding human being. Sure, he did sock Julius Hodge below the belt once, but he seems to be doing good work in New Orleans and he’s developing into an outstanding player.

That brings us to an 8-year-old boy named Brian, who succumbed to cancer on Monday. His last wish, which he didn’t get the chance to see through, was to see a Hornets game through Child’s Wish of Greater New Orleans.

Paul honored Brian in last night’s game against the Spurs, writing “Brian!” on the side of his shoes.

"To the family, I'm terribly sorry," Paul said after the game. "I'm just happy I could honor Brian tonight by putting his name on my shoes. It has to be the most touching story I've had as a professional athlete."

From a good-guy standpoint, it was a nice, simple move by Paul that probably meant a great deal to the family. Although Carmelo Anthony had been the face of Jordan Brand for a couple of seasons, things like this make it clear Paul, with great dignity and class, should be the star this company rides for some time. For more on the tribute, check out the story on NOLA.com.

(H/T to Dime Magazine)

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.