Playing professional basketball is hard. Becoming one of the best point guards to ever play the game, a model citizen for the NBA and still finding time for your family is even harder. But, that’s exactly what Chris Paul – CP3 – has accomplished. Basketball fans know CP3 as one of the best passers, defenders and competitors in the history of the NBA.
By partnering with our great customer Steiner Sports(opens in new tab), who specializes in sports memorabilia and sports marketing, I had the opportunity to host a 30-minute interview with the Houston Rockets Point Guard where we discussed everything from basketball to teamwork to Beyonce & Jay-Z. Chris provided the crowd an inside look at what it’s like to be on the best NBA team in the league and outlined how he balances his professional career with philanthropy, business and family.
CP3 downplays his own individual achievements, instead opting to highlight the importance of a team culture, not just on the court but in everything you do. When it comes to basketball, the only individual accolade he takes a lot of pride in his selections to the NBA All-Defense Team (an award given to the top defensive players each season) because he feels that playing defense is selfless; it doesn’t necessarily show up in the stat sheet, but helps the entire team. Chris attributed much of his growth as a player and a person to selflessness – minimizing the importance of his personal achievements to instead highlight the greater effect a group can have when working towards a goal.
Chris shared several stories about how being part of a team can lead to exponential growth and positive achievements. Case and point, his work with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).
Chris has held the role as president of the NBPA since 2013. When he was first offered the role, he was reluctant, and tried to renege because of the massive responsibility that comes with the job. Chris compared being on the board of the NBPA to being on the executive board of a business, but in this case, you are not compensated with equity or stock – this board is an unpaid service position. When asked, “What’s your greatest accomplishment as NBPA president?” he responded: “It’s never about me – it’s not my biggest achievement; it’s our biggest achievement.” Chris went on to specifically call out a couple of his past colleagues on the board, like James Jones, and then detailed their biggest achievement as a unit – healthcare for retired players. “One things for certain, anybody who plays in the NBA right now, at some point they will be a retired player; [healthcare for retired players is] one thing that no other league has and now we have a fund that takes care of our retired players.”
Chris shared a few of his favorite basketball and personal moments with us and he attributes his growth as a player and a person to the extraordinary teams that surround him. Oracle NetSuite sponsored this event with CP3 at the St. Regis in Houston on February 22nd, 2018. To learn more about our Grow Live series, and possibly join us in our next city, click here(opens in new tab).