When Chris Paul Refused to Break a State Record to Honor His Grandfather

Many know Chris Paul for his extraordinary passing ability. Throughout his 20-year NBA career, Paul has led the league in assists five different occasions. His ability to pass the ball at an elite level came from his high school days. However, his greatest pass in his high school career didn’t come in the form of an assist.

One night during his senior season, Paul couldn’t miss from the field, scoring 61 points. He was only six points away from the state record for points in a game but asked for a substitution. His reasoning was to honor his late grandfather, Nathaniel Jones.

The story behind Chris Paul’s 61-point game

Ahead of the 2002-03 high school season, Paul was already on the radar of Division 1 scouts. On November 14, 2002, Paul accepted a full scholarship to Wake Forest. The accomplishment was a momentous milestone for the Paul family. But the celebration only lasted a day before Chris’s world came crashing down.

On November 15, 2002, Paul’s grandfather was the victim of a robbery and homicide. The entire Paul family mourned the loss of  Nathaniel, especially Chris, who was extremely close to his grandfather. After all, his grandfather was the one who gave him the nickname CP3.

Paul dedicated his next game to his grandfather, scoring 61 points, one point for each year of his grandfather’s life. Time remained to shoot for the state record, but Chris demanded a substitution.

On this day in 2002, Chris Paul dropped 61 points for West Forsyth High School.

CP3 honored his grandfather — Nathaniel Jones, who was murdered at the age of 61, 5 days before on November 15th, 2002.

He scored a point for every year his grandfather lived. pic.twitter.com/moYzS2fDyC

— CP3REGION (@cp3region) November 20, 2024

The record didn’t hold much importance for Paul. His motivation resided in honoring his grandfather with his performance and, most importantly, the win. That remarkable high school display wouldn’t be the last time CP3 glorified his grandfather. He even wrote a book about him.

Chris Paul’s book about his grandfather

In 2023, Chris Paul published a book about Nathaniel Jones. The title was Sixty-One: Life Lessons from Papa, On and Off the Court. Paul had the writing assistance of renowned sports journalist Michael Wilbon.

The book highlighted the relationship Paul had with his grandfather and the many gems he learned from him. He teaches his children the same life lessons he learned from “Papa,”  carrying on his legacy.

Paul has accomplished phenomenal things throughout his NBA career. However, Sixty-One becoming a New York Times Bestseller may top everything on that list.