A Conversation with NBA All-Star, Olympic Gold Medalist Chris Paul | Global Conference 2024

Foundation Origins and Personal History

• The "61" Club at the Chris Paul Family Foundation is named after the 61 points Paul scored for his late grandfather in his senior year of high school at Grimsley High School.
• Paul's grandfather, who operated North Carolina's first Black-owned service station, was murdered by five teenagers in November 2002, shortly after Paul signed his letter of intent to attend Wake Forest.
• Paul's grandmother passed away when he was eight due to lung cancer, leaving his grandfather as his primary guardian who instilled a strong work ethic and the necessity of earning money rather than receiving it freely.
• Paul intentionally skipped a potential 62nd point to break the state record of 67 held by Michael Jordan, asserting that the number 61 was significant only in memory of his grandfather.
• The Club 61 program brings five at-risk youth from each city Paul has played in (New Orleans, Houston, Phoenix, Los Angeles) to Los Angeles for three days to teach financial literacy, social justice, and life skills.

NBA Players Association Leadership

• Paul served as president of the NBA Players Association, transforming it into one of the most powerful labor organizations in professional sports.
• He joined the executive committee in his third season and later became president at age 22, initially feeling intimidated during Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations with owners.
• Paul emphasized the importance of diverse representation on the board, including James Jones, Stephen Curry, and players on the league minimum salary to ensure all perspectives were heard.
• A key achievement of his tenure was securing insurance coverage for retired players, a benefit Paul cites as critical for the well-being of former athletes, noting the NBA as the only major league to offer this.
• Paul describes the negotiation environment as a "business class on steroids," noting that players often lack financial literacy or awareness of taxes until they enter the league and face large contracts.

HBCU Advocacy and Educational Initiatives

• Paul grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and recognized the value of HBCUs after realizing his parents and many family members attended institutions like Winston-Salem State.
• He notes that while Wake Forest was visible, HBCUs like Winston-Salem State were central to his community, though he was not recruited there due to a systemic focus on "blue blood" programs for NBA prospects.
• Paul was unaware that a full scholarship at Wake Forest required a donor (the Du family) to pay the tuition until he was a student.
• He partnered with Harvard University to replicate a "Sports and Entertainment" class (BIMS) at HBCUs, addressing the lack of financial resources in those schools to offer similar curriculum.
• Paul graduated from Winston-Salem State University in December 2023, completing a degree after a hiatus from formal education during his NBA career.

Philanthropic Operations and Family Focus

• The Chris Paul Family Foundation is run as a corporate entity with Paul acting as a CEO, supported by his wife and right-hand associate Carmen Wilson.
• Specific initiatives include a charitable drive where Paul's wife provides designer prom dresses, shoes, and makeup artists for young women who might not otherwise be able to attend prom.
• Paul emphasizes the "accessibility" factor of philanthropy, stating that showing up and interacting personally with students is as vital as monetary donations.
• He balances his 20th NBA season, family life in Los Angeles (where his wife and children reside), and his time in San Francisco for work, prioritizing his role as a father to his 14-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter.
• Paul reflects on a specific interaction at an AAU game where a retired NBA player thanked him for his union work on behalf of retired players' insurance, highlighting the league-to-legacy cycle of support.