CHRIS PAUL

Chris Paul spent 19 seasons in the NBA as one of the most cerebral point guards the league has ever produced. Twelve All-Star selections, a league assist title more times than most coaches can count, and the unique distinction of running four different franchises — New Orleans, LA Clippers, Houston, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Golden State — and making every single one better in the process.

He won his first NBA championship in 2022 with the Golden State Warriors at 37. Off the court he became one of the most active athlete-investors of his generation.

He served as president of the National Basketball Players Association during the 2011 lockout and again during COVID negotiations in 2020 — the second time NBA players made it through a health crisis and still got paid.

Esusu (racial equity fintech, early investor), Wingstop (franchise operator — owns multiple locations), Fanatics (equity stake), Bodyarmor (early investor, sold to Coca-Cola in 2021), Acorns (investor), Tonal (fitness, early backer), Overtime Elite (basketball league), Augmented Reality venture via Lightbox Capital

Chris Paul invests the same way he runs a pick-and-roll: measured, deliberate, and usually one step ahead. He is drawn to early-stage consumer brands, fintech, and sports tech — businesses where he can use his personal brand and athlete network to open doors.

His Bodyarmor bet was the blueprint: in at the seed stage, leveraged his network (he brought in Kobe Bryant), and sold to Coca-Cola for $5.6B, netting investors a massive return. He works through Lightbox Capital and actively scouts deals the way a point guard scouts a defense — before everyone else sees the opening.

His earliest and biggest win was Bodyarmor. He invested at near ground floor, used every relationship in his network to supercharge the brand's sports credibility, and was part of the sale to Coca-Cola that valued the company at $5.6 billion.

It was exactly what athlete investing is supposed to look like — conviction, real money, real involvement.

Not publicly specific, but he backed Acorns very early when micro-investing apps were still unproven and dismissed as gimmicks. It became a platform with millions of users.

Not a disaster, but returns were modest relative to some of his other bets.

Paul talks about financial literacy constantly — he grew up watching his family struggle and made it one of his platform causes. He is obsessed with ownership.

Not endorsements. Not appearances.

Actual equity. He talks about Bodyarmor versus a typical shoe deal and the math is not even close.

Married to Jada Crawley since 2011. Two children: Christopher Emmanuel Paul II and Camryn Alexis Paul.

His son, named after him, is already playing competitive basketball.

Louisiana Tech and then Wake Forest University. Drafted 4th overall in 2005 before earning his degree — one of the last players to do that in that era.

As an Amazon Associate, Netfigo earns from qualifying purchases. Book links above may be affiliate links.