The 5 Most intense NBA players: Where Rockets’ Russell Westbrook ranks

3. Chris Paul

As Rockets’ fans know well, it’s hard to find someone that shows as much heart as Chris Paul. After stellar seasons with the Hornets and Clippers, CP3 found his way to the Houston Rockets from 2017-19, nearly helping send H-Town to the NBA Finals in his first year with the team.

It’s tough to find a current player that communicates on the floor as much as Paul does, whether it be with teammates, opponents or the officials. Intensity and hustle go hand-in-hand, and Paul has made a career out of hustling on both ends of the floor.

Over his 14-plus year career, Paul has led the league in steals in a season six separate times, with the last time being the 2013-14 season. That’s extremely tough to do without going all out every night and pushing harder than everyone else.

4th quarter clutch.@CP3 | #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/YdTUCyWyOi

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 8, 2020

No matter what teams CP3 has played on, he’s always been a natural leader due to his basketball IQ, vocal guidance and just plain talent. At 34-years-old, Chris Paul wasn’t expected to have the Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoff hunt in the Western Conference, especially considering the team just lost both Russell Westbrook and Paul George in a single offseason.

Yet, it’s not that surprising to see what Paul has been able to do in OKC, leading them to a 33-22 record, just 1.5 games behind the Rockets. Oh, and he’s also an All-Star this season for the first time since the 2015-16 season. CP3 is a winner, plain and simple, and his intensity is a big reason why.

Next: No. 2