Rich Paul is one of the biggest names in sports, period. Rich is estimated to have a net worth of $120,000,000. But ironically enough, if it wasn’t for a Warren Moon Jersey instead of a polo shirt, that Paul was wearing on the fated day that he met LeBron James, Rich would have never amassed the fortune that he did. In 2002, Paul, who was a 21-year-old college dropout, was selling throwback jerseys out of his car. The same year Paul met a 17-year-old LeBron James at the Akron-Canton Airport, who approached him due to his throwback Wareen Moon Jersey. This meeting formed the base for a lifelong relationship between the two. Brian Windhorst in his book LeBron, Inc. recalls this fated meeting between the two legends as one that would forever change the business landscape of basketball.
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Since the fated meeting, Rich has done pretty well for himself. Rich has become one of the top agents in the NBA. Representing players such as Anthony Davis, Zach Lavine, Darius Garland, and LeBron James to name a few. Rich even acts as the CEO of Klutch Sports, which is the biggest talent agency in the basketball market. All of this and many more business enterprises later, Rich Paul has cemented his influence on the business side of the sport.
A decision to wear a Wareen Moon Jersey resulted in the formation of basketball’s most influential agency
The meeting between LeBron James and Rich Paul is one for the history books. It all started when a young 17-year-old LeBron birthed the desire to own two very specific throwback jerseys. The first was a Magic Johnson throwback jersey, and the second one was a Joe Namath jersey for when Joe played for the Rams.
Funnily enough, James would end up meeting a 21-year-old Rich Paul, who would hook the Young King with the above-mentioned jerseys, and even add in a discount for him. LeBron would never have spotted and approached Rich if it wasn’t for the throwback Wareen Moon jersey, Rich was wearing at the airport.
An excerpt from the book read:
“Paul believes his choice to wear that Moon throwback that day he had considered a polo shirt instead changed his life. Paul became the second employee of King James Inc.”
Ironically, Rich was contemplating wearing a Polo instead of the jersey to the airport. A decision that could have cost him his entire business career. But it wasn’t only sports and a love for jerseys that the two had in common. Just like LeBron even Paul was a product of the projects of Akron.
Similar to LeBron, Paul also played ball for a private Christian school, where he was a minority, as a black kid. The bond the two formed was deeper than anything before, as they both empathized with each other’s struggles, as they both looked to take on the world as young black men from Akron.
Rich Paul chimes in on the GOAT debate
Rich Paul was one of the recent guests on the Gilbert Arenas Podcast. While on the show, Rich Paul chimed in on the GOAT debate. According to Rich Paul, Lebron is the Greatest. Rich even provided his reasoning, telling Gilbert Arenas, ” I just think LeBron’s antlers are in platinum and Michael’s may be in gold,” Paul said. “Why? Because when you think about it, he had to be compared to Mike. Who did Mike have to be compared to? Right?.
Rich Paul: “I just think LeBron’s antlers is in platinum and Michael Jordan’s may be in gold. Why? Because he had to be compared to Mike. Who did Mike have to be compared to?”
(Via @GilsArenaShow) pic.twitter.com/fTMb09NJKs
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) September 4, 2023
In Paul’s eyes, LeBron had enormously higher expectations coming into the NBA, which he exceeded. Also, Rich believes that the very fact that LeBron has always been compared to Michael, while Michael never faced any such comparisons, was testament enough to the fact that James has not only threatened Jordan’s place at the top but might as well have taken it, all altogether.
