Editors’ Note

A native of Lewisville, North Carolina, and an All-American at Wake Forest University, Chris Paul was the fourth overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft by the New Orleans Hornets. In his first year as a professional, Paul was named the 2005-06 NBA Rookie of the Year, helped lead USA Basketball to a bronze medal at the 2006 World Championships, and was a recipient of the NBA’s Community Assist Award (September 2006) in recognition of his charitable initiatives.

Organization Brief

Founded in 2006 by Chris Paul and his family, the CP3 Foundation works in partnership with The Winston-Salem Foundation to support Paul’s hometown’s philanthropic activities. Through the foundation’s major fundraising initiative, Chris Paul’s Winston-Salem Weekend, Paul has refurbished basketball courts; established the Nathaniel Jones Scholarship Fund in honor of his late grandfather, which will award a Forsyth County, North Carolina, student a scholarship to attend Wake Forest University and partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County.

Why did you decide to establish the CP3 Foundation?

Upon making it to the NBA, one of the first things that crossed my mind was how I could give back. Eventually, I thought that establishing a foundation would be a great opportunity to help as many people as I could. There are so many people who played a vital role in helping me get where I am, and this is an opportunity to repay them, as well as others. I think creating the CP3 Foundation was the best move I’ve made since becoming a professional basketball player.

Have you tried to coordinate CP3 Foundation’s work with the work of NBA Cares?

You definitely try to mesh them together. The NBA has helped out so much with everything that I’ve done regarding the foundation. My foundation is merely one piece of the pie; the NBA has been doing this for years. And their work is global – everything from Basketball Without Borders to Habitat for Humanity; it’s really impressive. Through NBA Cares, I have worked with Habitat for Humanity and have actually partnered with the local chapter in Forsyth County to be the main beneficiary of our annual fundraising initiative.

There is so much need in the community. How do you decide where to focus your attention?

I happen to have a real passion for kids, which is why we’re starting the college scholarship fund named for my grandfather, who was my best friend. He owned the first black-owned service station in North Carolina, and he worked so hard, day in and day out. And there were so many times when people would come up to his service station and not have the money to pay for the gas. So he would give it to them for free. He was just happy to make someone else happy. So we’re trying to make it an endowed scholarship that will be around for years to come. I am focused on improving lives in Winston-Salem because that’s where I’m from and that city is who I am.