Two things happened last week that made me pause and reflect on life and our humanity.
In Paris, LeBron James was voted the Olympic basketball MVP. Almost concurrently, British singer Adele announced her engagement to Rich Paul.
What a coincidence!
Rich Paul used to sell T-shirts in parking lots. That he is now engaged to one of the greatest musicians of our generation is a rare occurrence. It took LeBron James to help make Rich Paul who he is today.
In 2002, when Paul was 21 years old, he met LeBron, who was still in high school, at the airport in their hometown of Akron. Paul was trying to get his throwback jersey business off the ground when he ran into LeBron.
James, captivated by Paul’s Warren Moon throwback jersey, asked where he got it. It turned out that Paul was selling jerseys from the trunk of his car and was going to Atlanta to buy more. He gave James his connection in Atlanta and told him to drop his name for a discount, then went on his way.
A friendship was born.
After LeBron was picked No. 1 overall in the 2003 NBA Draft, he hired Paul as a personal assistant on a $50,000 annual salary.
Paul had no college degree or managerial experience. He had enrolled at the University of Akron but transferred to Cleveland State when his father was diagnosed with intestinal cancer. He dropped out of college a few months after his father’s death.
Over the years, Paul was determined to learn more about the sports business. According to Sports Illustrated, he began working under Leon Rose at Creative Artists Agency. During his time there, he made powerful connections and developed lasting relationships that eventually helped him start his own agency, Klutch Sports Group, in 2012.
In an interview with The New York Times, Paul said:
“I didn’t just want to be a member of LeBron’s entourage: LeBron had no obligation to me. I was not entitled to anything. I wanted to be valuable.”
In 2014, Paul negotiated a deal for LeBron James to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, which was one of the biggest sports stories of the year.
Today, Klutch Sports is arguably the most successful sports agency representing some of the NBA’s biggest names. In 2021, it was estimated that the guy who used to sell jerseys from the trunk of his car was worth $200 million.
Speaking to ESPN about how his relationship with Paul developed, James said:
“I just felt like Rich was someone I wanted to grow with. He’d always kept it real with me, and I wanted him to be part of my team.”
LeBron James saw something in Rich Paul that most others did not.
Rich Paul started at the bottom. Now Paul is rich.
The story isn’t always about where you start. Where you are going matters more.
Be the ladder that others use to climb to the skies of success.
May the day break.