The Golden State Warriors have an annual tradition of playing a friendly basketball game with the inmates of one of the most infamous prisons in the US, San Quentin State Prison. The practice began in 2012 and has since blossomed into a partnership of sorts between the Warriors and the rehabilitation facility. For the ninth edition of the same tradition, Warriors stars Klay Thompson, Chris Paul, and Moses Moody were the ones to participate in the event this year. For Warriors, it is a way to impact the community.

However, ex-Warriors star Andre Iguodala might not be as open to this idea as the others. He has valid reasons for his reluctance, too. But Chris Paul is here to dispel his fears and offer him a glimpse into what it was like to visit the inmates there. For Paul, this was a personal experience that left an indelible mark on his life.

Why Andre Iguodala would “never” visit a prison?

In the Point Forward podcast, Andre Iguodala sat down to discuss the traumas that have prevented him from visiting prison. He said, “I’ve always known that African-American males are disproportionately sent to prisons and work through that system and I had a few family members in prison and I always told myself, ‘I’m never going to jail’. Even to visit like that’s just one place I don’t want to go because of the trauma behind it.

It’s a practice the Warriors have been following for a long time, but Iggy has never been a part of those games. He explained that it wasn’t like he didn’t want to go with the team. But due to the dark history associated with the place, he is even uncomfortable driving past it. According to him, it is like a “new form of slavery”.

Chris Paul gets emotional while narrating his San Quentin experience

However, Paul, who earlier harbored similar beliefs as Iggy, experienced a life-altering moment when he interacted with the incarcerated people. The visit was so close to his heart because his uncle had been locked up in the same prison for nine years. “For me, them look like my uncles; them look like my family,” said CP3. He further added, “I wasn’t there to judge what happened or what but it felt as good for me to be there with them as if it might have felt great for them.”

After the game ended in favor of San Quentin, they dominated the Warriors team with an 85-80 win. After the game, Paul shared his experience: “A lot of these guys got way more wisdom than I have. They’ve had experiences I’ve never had, and they’re talking about perseverance and how they keep their minds strong and whatnot.” What do you think of these two very differing viewpoints of these stars? Let us know in the comments.

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