Chris Paul is putting the finishing touches on his Hall of Fame NBA career, and when he decides to call it quits, he’s going to have the financial freedom to do whatever he wants to do. Just on career earnings alone, Paul has made over $389 million during his time in the league.
Yet, in December 2022, Paul completed his collegiate studies and graduated from Winston-Salem State University. When asked why he opted to finish college despite his success in the Association, CP3 had a simple explanation.
Paul sheds light on his decision to finish college
Chris played two seasons of basketball in college at Wake Forest before declaring for the 2005 NBA Draft, where he ended up getting selected fourth overall. Given all the success he was having in the league, finishing college was probably the furthest thing from his mind.
Later in his career, though, Paul became more receptive to the idea of getting a degree, and he managed to do that in 2022. CP3 is a big believer in finishing what you started, and it sounds like that was the primary motivation for his decision to go back and complete his studies.
“One of the biggest things is follow through,” the Spurs point guard said via Forbes . “I went to Wake Forest not knowing I was going to the NBA, I went to go get an education. Went for two years, go to the NBA, and everyone’s like, ‘Oh, you make this money, you don’t need no degree.’ It’s not about that, it’s about finishing what you started. I’m a big believer in that…You ain’t cheating nobody but yourself. It’s about finishing, completing, and when I got a chance to do that at Winston-Salem State and walk across the stage, to see that smile on my parents face, priceless.”
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More athletes should share CP3’s mindset toward finishing college
For many college athletes who intend to go pro, their studies aren’t really something that is on their radar. That is especially the case in the NBA, where you can declare for the draft after just one year of college.
Paul was in a similar boat, as he realized pretty quickly during his college days that he was NBA-bound. But he still worked hard to get as much out of the education as possible, even though he knew that he wasn’t going to stick around for four years to graduate.
CP3 has already done a great job of maximizing his earnings both on and off the court during his time in the league, but when he retires, he’s going to need something to fall back on. That’s why finishing college is so important for some of these former athletes.
Point God could have easily skipped finishing education and moved into sports media, but completing what was started opened several doors for life after the NBA.
Related: Chris Paul on being a huge fan of Isiah Thomas early in his career: "Isaiah was one of those players who went out every night to win"
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