Today, NBA superstar Chris Paul graduated from Winston-Salem State University and gifted his fellow graduates $2,500.
After winning 111-95 against the Los Angeles Clippers Thursday night, the Phoenix Suns point guard flew to North Carolina to walk across the stage to accept his bachelor’s degree.
Paul received his bachelor’s degree in communications after enrolling in WSSU in 2020. He initially began pursuing his degree at Wake Forest in 2003 but left the school in 2005 to join the NBA.
Along with his accomplishment, Paul will give each fellow graduate $2,500.
According to NBA reporter Marc J. Spears, the graduates are getting the money through a Greenwood account in which Paul will deposit $100 in each account and cover the $200 per month membership for an entire year, which equals out to a total value of $2,500 per graduate.
Greenwood is a Black-owned banking system aimed to help Black and brown communities build generational wealth.
“Man it’s cool, I’m excited, Long time coming,” Paul told The Arizona Republic after the Suns’ victory on Thursday night during the post-game press conference.
“To be able to go back home and do that with my family is something that snuck up kinda quick but I’m probably most excited that I get to spend the next 10 days with my wife and my kids.”
Paul’s donation is a portion of his advocacy for HBCUs.
In 2020, he created an internship pipeline at North Carolina A&T through the Chris Paul Family Foundation. He also produced a docuseries that focused on the lack of resources that athletic departments at HBCUs have to deal with.
“I speak about it every now and then when I get a chance, but I think HBCUs are so important for trying to make sure that we level the playing field,” Paul told the Arizona Republic last month. “Make sure that they’re provided with the same opportunities that a lot of these other schools are blessed with, and the guys are just as talented, if not more talented, they just need the platform. They need people to see them, to believe in them.”
According to SB Nation, Paul’s second annual Boost Mobile Chris Paul HBCU Challenge will take place in Las Vegas as four HBCUs — Hampton University, North Carolina A&T, Texas Southern, and Norfolk State will participate in Vegas MGM Grand over the upcoming weekend.
