Chris Paul Describes How He Hopes To Change The ‘Uncomfortable’ Conversation About Money In NBA Locker Rooms

Chris Paul Money

Getty Image


Chris Paul is one of the highest-paid players in the NBA right now, with the new Oklahoma City Thunder point guard set to earn a whopping $38.5 million next season alone. While it’s easy for fans to find out what players like Paul and other superstars are making with a simple Internet search, though, there are plenty of players who have no idea what to do with all those millions.

For instance, take a guy like No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson, who, at 18 years old, just became an instant millionaire by signing a four-year deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, with Zion set to make about $9.7 million during his rookie year. Considering the kid went from being snubbed by Anthony Davis for an autograph just two years ago to replacing Davis as the face of the Pelicans franchise, it’s easy to see why young players haven’t got a clue with how to save money, talk about money, invest money or, in Chris Paul’s words, even “understand what health insurance is.”

This is where Paul hopes to change the current narrative in NBA locker rooms, saying that, because money is an “uncomfortable” topic, players just don’t talk about it together. That means that, for every superstar like LeBron James and Kevin Durant — who both make more off the court each year than on it, and have built empires and wealth in other avenues — there’s a young guy who isn’t benefitting from that knowledge. Chris Paul knows that needs to change.

Talking to Clevis Murray of The Athletic, Paul, who’s the President of the NBA Players’ Union, had this to say about the whole money topic, explaining how he hopes to make the conversation something less taboo to speak about.

“I think the reason why I’m so passionate about this is because I’m finishing up my 14th year in the NBA, and I’ve been around long enough to realize that guys in our league, we talk about everything in the locker room except for finance, except for money,” Paul said. “Nobody talks about money, because it’s one of those uncomfortable things.”

“I’ve heard so many stories. That’s why I try to talk to guys because it happens. This is a short career. In the grand scheme of life, this is a short career. You try to maximize it as much as possible,” Paul explained. “There’s the rookie transition program and all these different people that try and help you. But when you come in the NBA at 18 years old, you’re just thinking about basketball, basketball, basketball. You don’t even understand what health insurance is.”

“My hope is that’s something we can keep implementing in our league and just try to continue that dialogue,” Paul said. “I think guys would definitely listen to the owners and CEOs of their teams who’ve dealt with that type of money.”

Although there are some players in the league who, reportedly, laughed at Chris Paul after the All-Star was recently traded from the Houston Rockets to the Thunder because of his unpopularity with some, the point guard has good intentions here, because finances are something young players need to be aware of. And, while there are plenty of people who would love to earn millions as a young 20-something, the majority of them aren’t ready for such responsibility — especially when friends and family come asking for handouts — which is why Paul’s hope an important step in financial education. Here’s to hoping the league works with the players to figure out a way to instal something that can help players set themselves for financial freedom of decades, not just a few years.

(H/T Complex)

Nick Dimengo avatar
Nick's a Sr. Editor for BroBible, mainly relying on his Sports Encyclopedia-like mind to write about things. He's also the co-host of the BroBible podcast "We Run This," and can be seen sweating his ass off while frequently running 10+ miles around Seattle.