Chris Paul shared a unique relationship with former teammate Rasual Butler.

The Hornets dealt Butler to the Clippers earlier this month.

"Oh, man, to tell you the truth, that hurt me," Paul told the Times-Picayune of the trade. "Rasual is my guy, somebody I'm really close to. Him and David West were the only two guys who've been on my team every year since I've been a rookie. But that kind of caught me off guard and hit close to home. He was my guy."

Regardless, Paul is looking forward to the upcoming season.

"It can't come soon enough, to tell you the truth," Paul added. "When you lose that last game, this is what you prepare for. One of my favorite quotes is about, 'You can never go somewhere you've never been without doing something you've never done.'

"What I've been doing the past four years hasn't been working, so that means I've got to work a little bit harder."