Devin Booker assists Suns' teammate Chris Paul at Elite Guard Camp for top high school, college players

Chris Paul and Devin Booker already are putting in work together on the court.

The two NBA All-Stars played this past weekend at Paul's basketball camp, less than one month before the Phoenix Suns begin training camp.

Paul's annual invitation-only Elite Guard Camp ran from Friday through Sunday in Los Angeles. The camp drew two dozen of the nation's top players from high schools and Division 1 colleges. They joined Paul and Booker along with fellow All-Star DeMar Derozan, his Chicago Bulls teammate Coby White and Rudy Gay, as well as 50 NBA scouts, according to Clutch Points.

The NBA players who came were camp instructors and mentors to the young players.

The Suns' All-Star backcourt did shooting drills, put on an alley-oop dunk showcase, and were teammates in a pickup game with other NBA players and several campers on Saturday.

“It’s a blessing to be recognized and honored for my hard work,” Indiana Hoosiers freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino said before he attended the camp. “Being able to go learn from one of the best point guards in NBA history and pick his brain is going to be a great experience.

“I already have a relationship with Chris Paul, so just getting to chop it up and play with him I’m excited about. I’m thankful to be getting to play against some of the other top college point guards and NBA players will be exciting and a great measuring stick, so overall I’m thankful."

There are many current and former NBA All-Stars and high-scoring guards who have come through Paul's prestigious camp, which started early in his 17-year career.

That includes Steph Curry, Washington Wizards' Bradley Beal, the league's Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat's Victor Oladipo, Charlotte Hornets' Isaiah Thomas, and New Orleans Pelicans' CJ McCollum, to name a few.

Following the pickup game, Paul gave a motivational speech to the campers thanking Booker and several others who showed up to play, and discussed what it means to have a passion for hooping.

He used his close friend and Indiana Pacers assistant coach Jannero Pargo, who participated in the camp and played in the pickup game, as an example of a person who doesn't place value on the glamour and glitz of fame and wealth of being in the NBA.

"Y'all know how old he is? 42. 42!" Paul said. "That dude was in my wedding. You know how we got so close? This. That's because he loves it. Some people like to play. Some people like the money, the jewelry, the cars, all that stuff that come with it, but some people love it. And he one of them that love it."

Even though the campers looked up to him for inspiration, Paul told the campers that's reciprocated by him looking to them for enhancing his skills.

"Some of the stuff y'all are doing, y'all innovating," Paul said. "When y'all was dunking and doing all that stuff, I'm learning moves from y'all. I know y'all say, 'This is my camp, what can y'all learn from me?' I'm trying to figure out what I can learn from y'all."

Have tips for us? Reach the reporter at dana.scott@azcentral.com or at 480-486-4721. Follow his Twitter @iam_DanaScott.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Devin Booker assists Suns' teammate Chris Paul at Elite Guard Camp