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December 18, 2008
Michael didn’t do it. Neither did The Big O, Wilt the Stilt, The Logo, Magic, Stockton, Elgin, or Dr. J.
Chris Paul is in the record books…again. Only this time he has a record that may never be broken. Of the thousands of players who have donned uniforms in the Association only two have ever grabbed a steal in 100-consecutive games (Alvin Robertson and Chris Paul). After Paul passed the former San Antonio Spur with his 106th-straight game with a steal (ironically, against the Spurs) everyone else is in last behind CP3.
To put Paul’s remarkable record into perspective if another player wants to BEGIN his “PAUL PURSUIT” he must first get a steal in every game for an entire season. That would put him at 82 in a row. Then he would have to continue…and we’re still not sure when this streak will end. This steals streak may be the energizer bunny streak…and keep going and going…
Chris Paul’s streak now has its own banner in the New Orleans Arena. You know your streak is special when it gets an arena banner…and that thing will be updated until some team or some statistician denies Paul a pilfer.
Chris Paul’s streak also has a new sign in the arena from “The Sign Man” (season ticket holders Larry and Apple Lane). It reads “Man of Steal” and has Chris Paul’s head on superman’s body. Instead of an ‘S’ across the chest…Apple has fashioned a ‘3’ that looks perfect across the Hornets’ point guard’s chest. Apple thanked me on Wednesday night for giving her the “Man of Steal” nickname. I credit her for taking it to the next level.
We should also applaud the 16,000 plus fans that rose in unison and cheered as Paul broke the NBA’s unbreakable record (it stood for 22 years). Paul said afterward that it sent chills down his spine and almost made him want to stop. Chris, thanks for not stopping until you helped erase the nine-point fourth quarter deficit to San Antonio and sent the Spurs to Orlando shaking their heads like 29 other teams have throughout the incredible streak.
The last NBA game Chris Paul played in and failed to get a steal was a first round playoff game on 4/25/08 at Dallas. Since the league doesn’t count post season games in a player’s overall statistics we have to go back to the 2006-2007 campaign for his last REGULAR SEASON game without a pilfer. That occurred on 4/10/07 in Oklahoma City, OK against the LA Clippers.
For history’s sake…here’s Chris Paul’s complete run into the record book.
| GAME NUMBER | DATE | OPPONENT | STEALS |
| 1 | 4/13/07 | vs. DENVER | 1 |
| 2 | 4/14/07 | @ HOUSTON | 1 |
| 3 | 4/16/07 | @ SACRAMENTO | 2 |
| 4 | 4/18/07 | @ LA CLIPPERS | 2 |
| 5 | 10/31/07 | vs. SACRMANETO | 3 |
| 6 | 11/2/07 | vs. PORTLAND | 2 |
| 7 | 11/4/07 | @ DENVER | 4 |
| 8 | 11/6/07 | @ LA LAKERS | 3 |
| 9 | 11/7/07 | @ PORTLAND | 3 |
| 10 | 11/9/07 | vs. SAN ANTONIO | 2 |
| 11 | 11/11/07 | @ PHILADELPHIA | 3 |
| 12 | 11/12/07 | @ NEW JERSEY | 3 |
| 13 | 11/14/07 | vs. PHILADELPHIA | 4 |
| 14 | 11/16/07 | @ MEMPHIS | 5 |
| 15 | 11/21/07 | vs. INDIANA | 2 |
| 16 | 11/23/07 | vs. UTAH | 2 |
| 17 | 11/24/07 | @ LA CLIPPERS | 2 |
| 18 | 11/26/07 | vs. MINNESOTA | 4 |
| 19 | 11/30/07 | @ ATLANTA | 2 |
| 20 | 12/1/07 | vs. DALLAS | 3 |
| 21 | 12/5/07 | vs. DETROIT | 2 |
| 22 | 12/7/07 | vs. MEMPHIS | 4 |
| 23 | 12/9/07 | vs. SEATTLE | 2 |
| 24 | 12/12/07 | @ DENVER | 1 |
| 25 | 12/14/07 | @ DALLAS | 1 |
| 26 | 12/15/07 | vs. PHOENIX | 2 |
| 27 | 12/17/07 | @ PORTLAND | 3 |
| 28 | 12/19/07 | @ SEATTLE | 4 |
| 29 | 12/22/07 | vs. MINNESOTA | 5 |
| 30 | 12/26/07 | @ MEMPHIS | 5 |
| 31 | 12/28/07 | @ CHARLOTTE | 1 |
| 32 | 12/29/07 | vs. CLEVELAND | 7 |
| 33 | 12/31/07 | vs. TORONTO | 2 |
| 34 | 1/02/08 | @ LA CLIPPERS | 1 |
| 35 | 1/4/08 | @ GOLDEN ST | 5 |
| 36 | 1/5/08 | @ PHOENIX | 3 |
| 37 | 1/9/08 | vs. LA LAKERS | 1 |
| 38 | 1/11/08 | vs. MIAMI | 1 |
| 39 | 1/13/08 | @ HOUSTON | 2 |
| 40 | 1/16/08 | vs. SEATTLE | 1 |
| 41 | 1/18/08 | vs. CHARLOTTE | 1 |
| 42 | 1/21/08 | vs. MILWAUKEE | 1 |
| 43 | 1/23/08 | vs. PORTLAND | 1 |
| 44 | 1/25/08 | vs. LA CLIPPERS | 1 |
| 45 | 1/26/08 | @ SAN ANTONIO | 1 |
| 46 | 1/28/08 | vs. DENVER | 2 |
| 47 | 1/30/08 | vs. GOLDEN ST | 2 |
| 48 | 2/1/08 | @ SACRAMENTO | 1 |
| 49 | 2/4/08 | @ UTAH | 1 |
| 50 | 2/6/08 | @ PHOENIX | 8 |
| 51 | 2/9/08 | vs. MEMPHIS | 1 |
| 52 | 2/12/08 | @ CHICAGO | 2 |
| 53 | 2/13/08 | @ MILWAUKEE | 3 |
| 54 | 2/20/08 | vs. DALLAS | 9 |
| 55 | 2/22/08 | vs. HOUSTON | 3 |
| 56 | 2/23/08 | @ SAN ANTONIO | 1 |
| 57 | 2/25/08 | vs. WASHINGTON | 2 |
| 58 | 2/27/08 | vs. PHOENIX | 3 |
| 59 | 2/29/08 | vs. UTAH | 5 |
| 60 | 3/2/08 | @ WASHINGTON | 3 |
| 61 | 3/3/08 | @ NEW YORK | 3 |
| 62 | 3/5/08 | vs. ATLANTA | 2 |
| 63 | 3/7/08 | vs. NEW JERSEY | 3 |
| 64 | 3/8/08 | @ HOUSTON | 2 |
| 65 | 3/12/08 | vs. SAN ANTONIO | 3 |
| 66 | 3/14/08 | vs. LA LAKERS | 4 |
| 67 | 3/16/08 | @ DETROIT | 1 |
| 68 | 3/17/08 | vs. CHICAGO | 3 |
| 69 | 3/19/08 | vs. HOUSTON | 4 |
| 70 | 3/22/08 | vs. BOSTON | 2 |
| 71 | 3/25/08 | @ INDIANA | 3 |
| 72 | 3/26/08 | @ CLEVELAND | 2 |
| 73 | 3/28/08 | @ BOSTON | 3 |
| 74 | 3/30/08 | @ TORONTO | 2 |
| 75 | 4/1/08 | @ ORLANDO | 2 |
| 76 | 4/2/08 | @ MIAMI | 1 |
| 77 | 4/4/08 | vs. NEW YORK | 2 |
| 78 | 4/6/08 | vs. GOLDEN ST | 5 |
| 79 | 4/8/08 | vs. UTAH | 3 |
| 80 | 4/9/08 | @ MINNESOTA | 1 |
| 81 | 4/11/08 | @ LA LAKERS | 4 |
| 82 | 4/12/08 | @ SACRAMENTO | 6 |
| 83 | 4/15/08 | vs. LA CLIPPERS | 2 |
| 84 | 4/16/08 | @ DALLAS | 2 |
| 85 | 10/29/08 | @ GOLDEN ST | 3 |
| 86 | 10/30/08 | @ PHOENIX | 3 |
| 87 | 11/1/08 | vs. CLEVELAND | 1 |
| 88 | 11/5/08 | vs. ATLANTA | 3 |
| 89 | 11/7/08 | @ CHARLOTTE | 6 |
| 90 | 11/8/08 | vs. MIAMI | 4 |
| 91 | 11/12/08 | vs. LA LAKERS | 2 |
| 92 | 11/14/08 | vs. PORTLAND | 4 |
| 93 | 11/15/08 | @ HOUSTON | 1 |
| 94 | 11/19/08 | vs. SACRAMENTO | 4 |
| 95 | 11/21/08 | @ OKLAHOMA CITY | 3 |
| 96 | 11/22/08 | vs. OKLAHOMA CITY | 3 |
| 97 | 11/24/08 | @ LA CLIPPERS | 1 |
| 98 | 11/27/08 | @ DENVER | 3 |
| 99 | 11/28/08 | @ PORTLAND | 1 |
| 100 | 12/3/08 | vs. PHOENIX | 3 |
| 101 | 12/6/08 | vs. MEMPHIS | 3 |
| 102 | 12/10/08 | vs. CHARLOTTE | 2 |
| 103 | 12/12/08 | @ BOSTON | 3 |
| 104 | 12/14/08 | @ TORONTO | 1 |
| 105 | 12/16/08 | @ MEMPHIS | 5 |
| *106 | 12/17/08 | vs. SAN ANTONIO | 3 |
*NEW NBA RECORD
