To kick off the 2025-2026 Face to Face Speaker Series, the Wake Forest community extended a warm “welcome home” to NBA player Chris Paul at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum (LJVM).
Though some admitted disappointment after Earvin “Magic” Johnson postponed his Sept. 16 appearance due to unforeseen circumstances, Paul rose to the occasion. CBS Sports reporter Tracy Wolfson returned as a moderator after leading last year’s conversation with Peyton Manning.
“Face to Face apologizes that Magic Johnson cannot be with us tonight,” Executive Director Sue Henderson said in her opening remarks. “But, we are profoundly grateful that Chris Paul has, once again, stepped in when the Wake Forest community needed it by rearranging his schedule to share his perspectives with us.”
Attendees expressed regret over the sudden postponement of Magic Johnson’s appearance but respected Chris Paul for his flexibility and support for the Wake Forest community.
“I was admittedly disappointed when Magic Johnson dropped out, but I think Chris Paul did as good as he could have done for being on his feet,” MSA student Will DeMore said.
Born just outside of Winston-Salem in Lewisville, North Carolina, Paul grew up around all things “Wake Forest” and attended the university until his sophomore year of college. After the NBA Draft cut his time as a Demon Deacon short, Paul finished his degree at Winston-Salem State University several years later. He credits his upbringing as an early informer of his success, particularly summers spent working at his grandfather’s service station, Jones Chevron, which later inspired the signature “Chevron” design on Paul’s Air Jordan shoe line.
“As a kid, you don’t realize how things being shown to you on the daily will shape your future,” Paul said. “But watching my granddad show up to the station every single day, from open to close, taught me the value of hard work and not waiting for a handout.”
Paul reflected fondly on memories of Wake Forest, from pointing to the very stands of the LJVM where he proposed to his wife in 2010, to beating Duke in basketball last February. He explained how coaches, mentors and teammates accumulated throughout the years have shaped his approach to leadership, both on and off the court. His relationship with Skip Prosser, for example, who coached men’s basketball from 2001 to 2007, was one rooted in honest feedback that pushed Paul out of his comfort zone.
“Sometimes you need people to be hard on you,” Paul said. “You need people who will tell you when you’re not doing something right or show you where it could be done better.”
This mindset has also shaped Paul’s approach to pursuits off the court, particularly in his role as the president of the NBA Players Association. Although the role is unpaid, listening to executives negotiate players’ contracts for eight years taught Paul that relationships and access to knowledge are a currency in and of themselves.
Paul also spoke of his ongoing commitment to his philanthropic initiatives, such as the CP3 Foundation, which funds scholarships for Winston-Salem students to attend Wake Forest University. Additionally, the foundation invites children to attend programming in Los Angeles every summer, pairing basketball with life skills, including financial literacy classes.
“Seeing these kids have a safe haven to play basketball and learn different life skills is not something I take for granted,” Paul said. “Those three days in the summer are always my favorite of the year.”
Paul’s message about gratitude and cherishing time spent with loved ones resonated with attendees.
“One quote that stood out to me was ‘Never delay gratitude,’ in reference to losing his grandfather,” junior Thomas Bucholsky said. “It serves as a reminder to stop postponing thank-yous and take each moment as it comes.”
To conclude the evening, four members of the Wake Forest men’s and women’s basketball teams offered a parting gift to Paul for agreeing to headline the event.
