Chris Paul came very, very close to finally winning his first Finals this past season with the Phoenix Suns. In the end, the Suns just weren't capable of overcoming the power of Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Given that Paul is now 36, some people feel that he just missed his last chance to secure a ring before retirement. Speaking with Time, Paul reveals that losing the Finals really upset him - but also fired him up even more to get back to the championship.

Right after the finals, Paul says that coming so close to that elusive first title, but narrowly missing it, would hurt for awhile. «It's never going to feel good,» he says. Though he's 36, Paul—who signed a four-year, $120 million contract earlier this month—won't be walking away from basketball anytime soon. «Now that I've got a taste of what that experience is like,» Paul says of playing in the NBA Finals, «I'm sort of addicted.»

Paul might be sort of addicted to playing in the Finals but he isn't alone. Barring any unforeseen injuries, his next NBA season is going to be even more fierce than the last and everyone is going to be gunning for the defending Bucks. So Paul will be fired up but he will be competing against a team filled with passionate, motivated players.


It wouldn't be surprising to see Paul appear in the Finals again. He's one of the most effective point guards in the league. But it won't be an easy road to get there.