After spending 19 years in the NBA, Chris Paul has become synonymous with its evolution in this century. As things stand, the 39-year-old wants to extend his stay in the league despite reaching the twilight of his playing career. To ensure this, the North Carolina-born even remains keen on purchasing a franchise, with Charlotte Hornets being an option.
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During his latest interview with Forbes’ Jabari Young, CP3 outlined precisely this. Highlighting the upside of acquiring a basketball franchise in the country, he revealed, “I would love to own a WNBA team and an NBA team… Charlotte is home… But I’m open, especially if there’s an expansion or something like that”.
Considering his connection to North Carolina, Paul becoming a part owner of the Hornets remains a glaring possibility. Over the years, the Point God has contributed immensely to the development of the US state. In 2005, he even set up The Chris Paul Family Foundation in his home city to help underprivileged families around the neighborhood.
He has always shared a close relationship with the organization’s most influential figure, former owner Michael Jordan. Since entering the NBA, Paul has been an ideal representative of MJ’s Air Jordan brand, setting benchmarks for the rest of the league.
Because of these reasons, any interest from his side to acquire a stake in the Hornets will be welcomed with open arms by both the city and Jordan. This could also boost the credibility of the franchise while enhancing its reputation around the league.
However, it remains unclear how curious Paul is at this stage to own the organization. If a better opportunity comes across his table, he has kept himself flexible enough to pounce on that. Despite these uncertainties over his future moves, one thing has become loud and clear.
Chris Paul is set to join the trend
A former NBA player owning a franchise is becoming a recurring theme around the league. In the past, Magic Johnson once used to hold a minority stake in the Los Angeles Lakers. Following this, Jordan added volume to this theme by becoming a majority owner of the Hornets in 2010. In recent times, Dwyane Wade has carried this trend forward by purchasing a minority part of the Utah Jazz in 2021.
Thus, Paul is merely following in the footsteps of the league’s iconic figures. The 12x All-Star is already set to enter his 20th season in the NBA. So, he could seriously think about stepping away from the court in the coming years.
Under this circumstance, becoming a part owner is his only option to sustain his connection with the NBA. Additionally, he showcased immense faith in his ability during this show, backing himself to succeed in that role.
This paves the way for an exciting future with Paul holding the possibility of disrupting the league.
