Like most athletes, Chris Paul is more than just a basketball player. While some choose the business and investment route, CP has shown a deep interest in shaping narratives, especially his own. That’s part of what led him to launch his production company, Ohh Dip!!!
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The company’s first major project was documenting one of the most pivotal moves in Paul’s career: his departure from the Los Angeles Clippers to join the Houston Rockets.
Paul believes athletes need to take control of their stories. In his view, too often, the public sees the headlines but not the process. So, when the opportunity came to document a major career decision, he didn’t hesitate. As he was weighing whether to leave L.A. for Houston, Paul arranged a meeting with his good friend Jay-Z.
“Luckily, over my career, he’s been somebody I can call, lean on, and talk to about things…So, I hit Jay one day, and I was like, Jay, I wanna talk to you about this decision that I’m trying to make to go or to stay,” CP said. He then asked Jay-Z if he was okay, if the conversation between them was recorded. The rap mogul didn’t have any problem with that.
CP said, “Jay said, ‘Cool.’” Paul spent several hours talking to Jay-Z about his future, all while his camera team quietly recorded the conversation. And Paul knew that someday, having that footage might help explain why he made the decision he did.
After the conversation, Paul’s team cut a short version of the footage and shared it with Jay-Z. It was a test. Paul wasn’t sure if the rapper would be okay with sharing a private moment. But Jay-Z liked what he saw and gave his approval. That green light gave Paul the confidence to release the clip, marking the first project under the Ohh Dip!!! banner.
The documentary titled ‘Chris Paul’s Chapter 3’ was released seven years ago. In a clip posted by ESPN on YouTube, Jay-Z and CP can be heard weighing the pros and cons of moving from LA to Houston. “That’s what you really have to think about. Do you wanna uproot your family? Kids in school, they love their friends. Like, that whole move, you did that already. Or you stay and you keep your residence in LA,” Jay-Z says in the clip.
The Brooklyn rapper admitted that it was going to be a hard decision. Chris Paul ended up moving to Houston in 2017 for two years. And the footage he has from that time is now a part of his legacy.
