Paul Receives Big Assist from His Big Brother
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Chris Paul’s rapid rise to stardom in the NBA has been aided by the guidance of his older brother C.J., who plays a prominent role in many of CP3’s off-the-court pursuits.
Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images
December 19, 2006
It is a rainy morning in Portland, Ore. The New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets have arrived in the Pacific Northwest city at 1 a.m., after a tough loss to Golden State the night before in Oakland.
Despite the defeat and the late arrival, Chris Paul, the Hornets’ star point guard and reigning Rookie of the Year, is up by 9, preparing for a team meeting, then an endorsement meeting with Brand Jordan before a tilt against the Trail Blazers later that night. By his side on every road trip and every meeting is his brother and manager, C.J. And as Chris will tell you, C.J. is more than just his best friend, brother and manager – he is part of the foundation that has made Chris successful on and off the court.
Not long ago, maybe eight years, C.J. was handily winning matchups between the siblings on the court, beating his brother every day in one-on-one games.
“It was just us when we were growing up, so we played all the time,” the 23-year-old C.J. remembers. “We have been playing against each other all of our lives and I used to dominate him back in the day.”
C.J.’s skill on the court allowed him to play basketball at the University of South Carolina-Spartanburg. He went off to college, and upon one of his returns he found a new trend began when he would meet his younger brother on the court: C.J. was now on the losing end of most of their games.
“The tables had turned for sure,” C.J. said with a sheepish grin. “I wasn’t beating him anymore. He was real good and I knew he could be real special one day.”
A McDonald’s All-American out of high school, Chris decided to stay close to home and attend Wake Forest University. At Wake, Chris was named the National Freshman of the Year by numerous publications and, in his second season, was a first-team All-America performer.
When Chris declared for the NBA Draft after those two stellar years at Wake Forest (leading the Demon Deacons to 48 wins in two seasons), he sought the advice of one of the NBA’s best young stars and a close friend, LeBron James.
“He told me that it really helped him out to have a close friend live with him and help him with the transition into the NBA,” Chris said. “It helped to have someone there you could trust and that is when C.J. and I knew it was the perfect idea.”
So last June, when Chris began his promising rookie season, C.J. was by his side.
Today, Chris and C.J. share a modest three-bedroom house in Edmond, a suburb of Oklahoma City. C.J. handles everything from Chris’ personal schedule to the travel schedules for his family and friends. He is also charged with keeping in close contact with Chris’ agent and Nike representative.
“The only thing C.J. doesn’t do well is cook,” Chris jokes. “If he is anywhere around the kitchen, I am not eating.”
Chris is quickly developing into one of the NBA’s brightest young stars. He was one vote short of a unanimous selection for Rookie of the Year, helping the Hornets improve in the win column by an NBA-best 20 games. Last summer, he was the starting point guard for Team USA, playing alongside Miami’s Dwyane Wade, Denver’s Carmelo Anthony and the aforementioned James. This season, he is the Hornets’ leading scorer and assist man and is on pace to compete for a spot in the All-Star game. With endorsement deals from Brand Jordan, Toyota and Chesapeake Energy, the sky is the limit for Paul.
“He is one of the best point guards in the NBA,” said James, with whom Chris keeps in close contact. “I love his intensity, I love his playmaking abilities and he has a bright future in this league.”
“It is an honor to be playing in the NBA and being able to be doing what I am doing right now,” Chris said. “To be mentioned in the same breath as great NBA point guards like Steve Nash and Tony Parker is a special thing. I am just trying to do my best and improve my game, while helping our team get to the playoffs.”
And as Chris would say, it wouldn’t have happened without the foundation laid by his manager, best friend and brother, C.J.
“I couldn’t do this without him,” Chris says. “I have an amazing family and support staff and C.J. has been instrumental in my success.”
It is a rainy morning in Portland, Ore. The New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets have arrived in the Pacific Northwest city at 1 a.m., after a tough loss to Golden State the night before in Oakland.
Despite the defeat and the late arrival, Chris Paul, the Hornets’ star point guard and reigning Rookie of the Year, is up by 9, preparing for a team meeting, then an endorsement meeting with Brand Jordan before a tilt against the Trail Blazers later that night. By his side on every road trip and every meeting is his brother and manager, C.J. And as Chris will tell you, C.J. is more than just his best friend, brother and manager – he is part of the foundation that has made Chris successful on and off the court.
Not long ago, maybe eight years, C.J. was handily winning matchups between the siblings on the court, beating his brother every day in one-on-one games.
“It was just us when we were growing up, so we played all the time,” the 23-year-old C.J. remembers. “We have been playing against each other all of our lives and I used to dominate him back in the day.”
C.J.’s skill on the court allowed him to play basketball at the University of South Carolina-Spartanburg. He went off to college, and upon one of his returns he found a new trend began when he would meet his younger brother on the court: C.J. was now on the losing end of most of their games.
“The tables had turned for sure,” C.J. said with a sheepish grin. “I wasn’t beating him anymore. He was real good and I knew he could be real special one day.”
A McDonald’s All-American out of high school, Chris decided to stay close to home and attend Wake Forest University. At Wake, Chris was named the National Freshman of the Year by numerous publications and, in his second season, was a first-team All-America performer.
When Chris declared for the NBA Draft after those two stellar years at Wake Forest (leading the Demon Deacons to 48 wins in two seasons), he sought the advice of one of the NBA’s best young stars and a close friend, LeBron James.
“He told me that it really helped him out to have a close friend live with him and help him with the transition into the NBA,” Chris said. “It helped to have someone there you could trust and that is when C.J. and I knew it was the perfect idea.”
So last June, when Chris began his promising rookie season, C.J. was by his side.
Today, Chris and C.J. share a modest three-bedroom house in Edmond, a suburb of Oklahoma City. C.J. handles everything from Chris’ personal schedule to the travel schedules for his family and friends. He is also charged with keeping in close contact with Chris’ agent and Nike representative.
“The only thing C.J. doesn’t do well is cook,” Chris jokes. “If he is anywhere around the kitchen, I am not eating.”
Chris is quickly developing into one of the NBA’s brightest young stars. He was one vote short of a unanimous selection for Rookie of the Year, helping the Hornets improve in the win column by an NBA-best 20 games. Last summer, he was the starting point guard for Team USA, playing alongside Miami’s Dwyane Wade, Denver’s Carmelo Anthony and the aforementioned James. This season, he is the Hornets’ leading scorer and assist man and is on pace to compete for a spot in the All-Star game. With endorsement deals from Brand Jordan, Toyota and Chesapeake Energy, the sky is the limit for Paul.
“He is one of the best point guards in the NBA,” said James, with whom Chris keeps in close contact. “I love his intensity, I love his playmaking abilities and he has a bright future in this league.”
“It is an honor to be playing in the NBA and being able to be doing what I am doing right now,” Chris said. “To be mentioned in the same breath as great NBA point guards like Steve Nash and Tony Parker is a special thing. I am just trying to do my best and improve my game, while helping our team get to the playoffs.”
And as Chris would say, it wouldn’t have happened without the foundation laid by his manager, best friend and brother, C.J.
“I couldn’t do this without him,” Chris says. “I have an amazing family and support staff and C.J. has been instrumental in my success.”
