Paul, James named Players of the Month

Dec 1, 2008 - 10:05 PM NEW YORK (Ticker) -- New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James were named the NBA's Players of the Month for November, the league announced Monday.

Paul, who also received the honor twice last season, is averaging 20.3 points and 5.7 rebounds while leading the NBA in assists (11.6) and steals (2.8) per game.

"It is an honor to receive this award, especially with how many great players are in this conference," Paul said. "I have to give a lot of credit to my coaches and teammates, we are all striving towards one collective goal, a championship."

Honored with the award for the eigth time, James ranks second in the NBA behind Dwyane Wade with 27.8 points per game over the first month of the season.

James scored 41 points three times during November, becoming the first player since Michael Jordan in 1991 to break 40 points three times in his team's first eight games.