New Orleans Hornets star and his high school friends called their crew the X-Factor and even had hoodies made. By MTV News staff Chris Paul Photo: MTV News Seven years before he made his third NBA All-Star team, five years before he played for the U.S. in the Olympics, and three years before he won the NBA’s Rookie of the Year Award, Chris Paul was just a 17-year-old high school kid who enjoyed hanging out with his friends as much as shooting hoops. OK, maybe not as much — Paul was named North Carolina’s Mr. Basketball during his senior year, after all. But as we learn in the upcoming episode of MTV’s “When I Was 17,” the New Orleans Hornets point guard has as many memories of chilling with his pals as he does about raining 3’s over their heads. And not all of those memories come off looking so cool years later. Case in point: the crew he and his friends created. “We had a little crew called the X-Factor,” Paul revealed. The group was comprised mostly of football players, with the 6-foot-tall Paul contributing his fast feet, if not bulk. “We felt like we needed something to set ourselves apart, so we had jackets made,” he said. “Then going down the sleeve it said ‘X-Factor.’ ” The sweatshirts were white with mint-green graphics. There were hand-drawn, comic book-style musclemen placed here and there, a photo silkscreened on the back and a quote from Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Paul and his boys thought they were pretty cool. Paul’s brother CJ was less than impressed. “I just remember Chris came home, had a hoodie that said ‘X-Factor’ on it,” CJ laughed. “I thought they were very lame.” But to this day, Paul remains proud of his crew and their gear. “There’s always going to be haters,” he said. “But I think they were more envious, because whatever they were a part of would never be bigger and better than the X-Factor.” “When I Was 17” — this week featuring Chris Paul, Pitbull and Vanessa Minnillo — airs Saturday at 11 a.m. on MTV. Related Videos Check Out A Preview Of ‘When I Was 17’ Episode 8
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Chris Paul Recalls Having The ‘X-Factor’ On ‘When I Was 17′
