Rich Paul most powerful non-owner in NBA? Talks 2024 Draft, Lebron & Bronny James’ future |The Pivot

SUBSCRIBE HERE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUnxiP7q4RDDyeioZFZLnXA?sub_confirmation=1

“So many people want to be a part of the announcement and not a part of the investment.”- Rich Paul, Founder of Klutch Sports

Less than 24 hours away from the 2024 NBA Draft and all the talk is around a potential late round draft prospect, And why? Well because of the name on the back of his jersey.

The sports world is currently divided over discussions about nepotism in basketball, sparked by Bronny James’ announcement that he will enter the NBA draft after just one year at USC. In the latest episode of The Pivot, Ryan, Channing, and Fred sit down with Rich Paul, founder of Klutch Sports Group and super agent not just for big NBA stars and Lebron but Bronny too, as the guys go in depth for a very telling conversation from the source himself. They dive into Rich’s long-standing relationship with LeBron James, yet their separate approaches to navigating Bronny’s entry into the NBA draft and his future career. Rich is very clear, although Bronny is considered his nephew, he is treating him as he would any of the other athletes he represents, sharing the best case scenario, discussing various approaches and details what he actually means by declining two-way contracts. Rich has made a name for himself as a leader in sports business and transcending athlete representation by doing it his own way, which has raised the bar in the industry.

Way before Rich Paul and Lebron met, Rich was hustling and grinding his way through life, from selling jerseys out of his car to becoming a prominent CEO in sports representation. He provides insights into his journey to become one of the most influential businessmen in sports, outgrowing his title of agent through his contributions in sports and entertainment growth over the years. Rich gives perspective into his philosophy as a man, agent and friend, emphasizing his consistent yet authentic approach in managing high-profile clients like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Draymond Green as well as his female clients in WNBA led by the league’s MVP A’ja Wilson.

Rich prides himself in building strong personal connections both within and outside the sports industry and talks about how he will not only stick by his athletes through their successes, but will also stand in the rain with them when things get tough as he demonstrated with Draymond Green recently. This mentality isn’t a front, it’s just who Rich Paul is, and is best described in his book, “Lucky Me” about changing the odds and going against the grain to reach success: “You don’t have to finish where you start,” which is why he has earned the trust of the best of the best in basketball and paved the way for it to be a business built on people skills and relationships and not by mandated college degrees.

For continued viewing and listening of more Pivot content and unique conversations in sports and entertainment with A-list celebs, top athletes and leaders in business, Subscribe to catch new episodes of The Pivot released on YouTube every Tuesday at 12 p.m. ET and Fridays at 3:30 p.m. ET, with early release of audio available on major streaming platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.

GET MERCH HERE: https://www.pivotpodcast.com

FOLLOW THE PIVOT PODCAST:
INSTAGRAM | https://instagram.com/thepivot
TWITTER | https://twitter.com/thepivot
TIKTOK | https://tiktok.com/@thepivot
FACEBOOK | https://facebook.com/thepivotpodcast
SPOTIFY | https://open.spotify.com/show/5KtXTWiC3J5WW1CVTpYG5V
APPLE PODCASTS | https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-pivot-podcast/id1603292451

#ThePivot
#Podcast
#RyanClark
#ChanningCrowder
#FredTaylor
#nfl
#nba

American what’s up oh Lord we about to match man godamn I got a change I got another shirt no that’s called twinning what up don’t worry about it that’s the clutch I told you here kiss kissing ass that’s the clutch effect fact man that’s what you doing you around here kissing ta should I change I think you should wear the entire show you might well get the Spiderman M out the way that’s what you get don’t get the Spider-Man M out the way hey he ain’t F to represent you no way and by the way this is not clutch Sports Group so you good whatever you want to do I’mma stay right here I’m a fool with my dude he needs you to represent him that’s the only way he’ll get a check let me tell you something I wish we was in football when y’all was playing I definitely wish too podcast aside kind of watch all y’all play I just think perspective is so different with back then for you guys right and I think that you guys had very minimal options and there was very there wasn’t as much information accessible today I don’t think representation thought about you guys past the grid iron you know and I think that being able to lock in with somebody that you you know not just see as a as a representation but somebody who I respect on all and share MH you know experiences with I think it’s a beautiful thing that you guys probably missed out you probably got it with your high school coach you probably got it with your pop warner coach or you know my my my principal at my high school or my guidance counselor things like that my uncles but it didn’t exist in representation cuz I think you guys were viewed a lot different right so that’s just my two cents I could be wrong but that’s just how I looked at it Limitless P it I here to witness it my people feeling feeling me up on the Miss got me up me I got the key on Vision I can trust trust Limitless n p it I the here to witness it get my people feeling militant way I’m feeling get me up on the mission got me up KN me I got the key only Vision I can trust trust Limitless n to me P it I witness don’t feel bad because this ain’t out it ain’t out no this is not out this is not for sale right now I think I got it in the popup in Detroit at the draft yes that’s where you got me and my wife got like four sweaters four t-shirts cuz we were showing love yeah I appreciate that yeah and they had I got a thing that says chanting is clutch they will put customization station yeah we’re doing that Allstar too oh okay yeah so this is this is the brand this is you don’t have to worry about it trust me you’re wearing the new stuff don’t worry I’m exclusive right now you’re exclusive right now app exclusive clut you clutch I’m clutch yeah hey I thought I going to throw something man I was say I think it’s perfect you know now having guys like yourself you guys want to teach the clients you want to teach your players how to evolve and grow get to the next step and I think that along with um the information that you’ve gotten from our our time along with social media guys are able to look at each other and not so much have it as a I think back in the day it was a big like rat racing competition where a lot of Agents really really hated on each other now you can kind of Leverage each other say hey I see what y’all got going on over there but we we can eat together because these deals are massive yeah and you know the co the thing about it is I don’t consider myself an agent you know believe it or not I’ve kind of grown out of that space even though I have agent capabilities I don’t consider myself a I don’t I don’t I don’t spend my time every day getting up thinking about you know uh which young player I’m going to go and get even though I’m in that space with my team my day consists of everything from Acquisitions to strategy across the entire company across the entire ecosystem to VC and you know beyond right just today alone I mean I probably had a meeting every 30 minutes today I don’t know how many zooms I this is my second sit down and so I’ve been blessed to be able to grow out of that space But when I look at the other agents in the space I mean I think you you and I bumped into each other in the airport one time and we talked last year’s draft When I look at the other agents in the space exactly what you’re saying I try to get them to understand like don’t be so naive to where you hide behind the pay wall of the company that you work for that you guys don’t communicate right and then when you do communicate make sure you have the respect for one another to when you go back into the field of competition that it doesn’t lead you to this belittling in a negative way right towards one another because everybody’s going to represent those that allow them to represent them right right you gravitate to who you’re like-minded like interest whatever draws you to that person whether it’s through the form of I don’t know Finance or ideology or whatever you want to call it everybody’s going to represent who’s for them so that’s the one thing for me in the industry when you know when I was first getting in it was difficult because like you’re saying and like I’m saying that we’re we’re pushing the culture of of the space to be I didn’t really have that you know I didn’t have that at all and I know it may upset some people when I said it on on first take but it’s it’s it’s real because like you said the people prior to me they never thought about building they thought about the same way we thought about in our neighborhoods flipping you know everything was about a flip let’s flip but a flip don’t compound it does exactly what it says it flips right right and so how do I turn $100 into $200 no one’s thinking about the the idea that this hund can turn into a million yeah because you can’t see that far and no one and you haven’t experienced anyone do it prior to and so you know you didn’t have that example to go by and so um the seat I sit in today is one of many many chairs but I embrace it man I love it I mean we built a great group great team yesterday we announced our Global football uh acquisition and partnership with a company called roof that’s in the UK and Spain and then um Germany headquartered in Germany with 150 footballers I was at the Champions League final which was unbelievable experience and so um I sit here today watching all you guys I watched all you guys play in college and I watched all you guys play on Sunday and and had a a profound respect I think we hung out in Jacksonville and Super Bowl that was what 06 got 0405 I you know so I’m I’m really old and I’m young but I’ve been around for so long I’ve never lost my respect and my appreciation for guys such as yourself and I’m I’m I’m so happy about the platform that you guys have now and what you built with the pivot and things like that and so for me it was mandatory that I do this because thank you you know I never want to get to a place where I don’t support you know just if I can do CNBC or if I can do Bloomberg I can do this you know cuz I look at it all the same um in my opinion so uh I appreciate you guys having me on no man thank you uh The Voice you hearing and the person you are seeing is super not agent uh Rich Paul welcome to the pivot a part of Fanatics Fred Taylor chanon Crowder I’m Ryan Clark thank you guys I think that’s that’s great right we all know that you’re legitimately one of the not just the that’s one of the greatest to ever do it and your track record and resume says that I want to talk about something a little bit different um in your space there hasn’t been a ton of agents who are willing to talk about the fact that things are different because of the color of my skin also too there are a lot of guys who will get to the point that you have gotten to and put on airs about the places and the experiences that they come from you wrote a book and you were very honest in that book some of that book honestly reads like snowfall to me it’s Big Rich and it’s and it’s peaches and it’s crack cocaine epidemic it’s all of these things what gave you the courage to be so open about where you come from knowing that that could be used against you having the will and the acceptance of sacrificing even myself and my positioning for the betterment of you know I think the mass of our youth and I think that often times you can get to a place to where you straight but everybody else isn’t right we’ve seen that before and I didn’t know how much I needed to write the book until I actually wrote the book I had been carrying everything that you read in that book with me throughout the course of my day throughout the course of my month and years um and no one ever saw anything different because I’m pretty much the same way every time you see me up or down that’s how I was raised but understanding that our youth and young people just today in general right where’s the substance today it’s not in our music it’s not in social media in its capacity because I think we invest more in likes and comments and actually what’s the message right and so it’s not there uh I think the church isn’t necessarily a place of um foundation for us anymore right Grandma’s gone granddad’s gone so where do you get the sap from the tree at right when I grew up you read the book Every Which Way I turned I got the sap from the tree whether it was positive or negative I was taught my community by a lot of older people whether it was good bad or indifferent they gave me the game you know I was very seasoned at a very young age my knife was sharp at a very young age um and so when they came to me with the idea of writing a book the first thing I said was it can’t be a puff piece I don’t want to talk about you know clutch Sports Group I don’t want to talk about rich Paul the the the super agent that blew up and down you know the CEO and and all those accolades um I don’t want to talk about you know who my girlfriend is I don’t want to talk about any of that I wanted to give people black people white people red people whatever color it may be that come from the place of discouragement poverty lack thereof resources and and experience opportunity I wanted to give them an understanding that you don’t have to finish where you start that was very important to me when we finally got it it’s what came out but at the very end when I read the book I said it was something missing and we went back and that’s when I added the ru because I felt like and just taking myself back to being a young kid if you do a word problem word problems was harder to do than actual numbers because caus you to have to think more yeah and most kids are discouraged by reading because it’s a boring thing to them it’s like running on the treadmill versus running down the street and it’s also the difficulty and process of comprehending yeah as comprehending the read that’s why I wanted to make it a pretty e easy and seamless read as well but I was like damn I was talking to Jesse Washington who was incredible and really leading away and helping me write this book and uh and I was like we need to you know maybe have a rule something that you can take away from each chapter to really that but that encompasses everything in that chapter so when iron your clothes as much as it’s about actually iring your clothes that’s actually about building great habits and having consistency and having detail right and so that’s what that was about you already made it when you wrote the book yeah very much so you know what I’m saying like if people look at look at his resume he already made it the what’s the positive and negatives of trying to tell the world that cuz as you were talking about you know I’m saying try to empower people but there can be some drawback for people knowing where you came from but also encouragement for the future yeah but I mean you know I don’t have nothing to hide man at the end of the day it’s never going to be nothing fake with me that’s not who I am and neither one of you can ever say you saw me and I was a different person no matter who I was with no matter where I was at no matter what was going on and again my community wouldn’t allow that up or down didn’t matter and so I didn’t even give a [ __ ] about what no other agency had to say what no you know they would they going to say it anyway right I’d rather tell my story and so therefore in rooms where they being lied to you know now you can’t lie no more it’s all out there you you get what I’m saying but more importantly it was about the youth right look at what’s happening you know kids are dying younger than ever um you know graduation rates are down more than ever the disrespect and the lack thereof um intelligence is through the roof right and everybody want to be lit everybody want to be seen you know and everybody want to have validation from those that you don’t even need to be seeking validation from there’s no credibility in that and so where they getting the game from where you know you tell me I can’t see it and I deal with it every day and I’m still in tune and it was the same way when I was on the cover of Sports Illustrated I mean I would never would have been on that cover if it wasn’t for my daughter my daughter is the one that said to me you know that people you know the youth we view like they’re not necessarily reading the article but that picture of you which you know she she helped me actually get out there on Instagram more and she helped me and so that to me being okay with doing the cover because I passed on it twice and not knowing that I would be on the cover solo they it was more of me being on the cover with other people and I was like no I don’t want to do that which took away from me being on the cover and then it just so happened that I end up being on the cover by myself but that wasn’t most so about me it was about me being an example to those so now as a kid even if you don’t read the article you see and those kids in my neighborhood they know my family they know what I came from they know all the things I’ve been through and so you know you are who you are it’s no it’s no fake in that and I don’t I don’t have anything to hide you know today when I when I go in my neighborhood I’m not doing nothing I’m I’m if I go through there I’m going through there to to take it all in and see people I haven’t seen in Forever check on my grandparents when they was alive and my uncle Charlie who just died he was 101 years old um but but that’s about it man I go to work and I go home pretty much R you were talking about lucky me the Memoir I haven’t read it yet but I will get to it but until then if there is one nugget like just one complete takeaway if you can share with everybody that’s going to watch this what would that one thing be I talk about not succumbing to your environment I think often times we make an excuse of our surroundings and our environment and and things of that nature and I think it’s easy easier for just like it was taking a multiple choice test easier for you to go abadaba than it is for you to actually read and try to figure out the answer and I think nowadays more than ever people want to skip steps everybody wants skip steps I mean you know we built a business where it started with two people we got 120 people that work and another no well now more than that we probably got 140 staff members and 400 500 clients 600 clients so when you think about that and and this is a kid that I didn’t graduate college you know my mom struggled with drug abuse my dad had another family you know my brother was a protector in mine and my uncles and and you know I had all the same issues that a lot of young kids have where you stradling the fence and trying to figure out Direction in life because it don’t come with a ways app right um and I’ve been extremely blessed to be in the position I’m in and I haven’t changed you know I haven’t changed one bit and if it had if I have changed it’s been in areas where I needed to mature and change for the better right I think that’s the one thing that when you do have success and no matter how much success you have I think it’s important to have perspective and perspective allows you to have Clarity and then when you have Clarity CL gives you the wealthiest thing you can have and that’s a wealthy mind you know I know people focus on the pockets but it’s really mental wealth that’s that’s that’s the wealthiest you can be I got a lot of billionaire friends that want want to have that mental wealth you know it’s just how I was raised really and it allowed me I came to Jacksonville the areas I was in in Jacksonville it was love you know no matter where I go I go to every city it’s love when I walk down the street it’s love because people see myself and them and that’s something that is bigger than anything for me so it would be just that like don’t ever succumb to your environment because I took things that seem to be of detriment in that environment and turn them into Assets in this environment because I know when I’m in those boardrooms very few people has been through what I’ve been through yeah I know that for a fact and not making me any better than them in any shape form and fashion but at this point you know there’s not a situation I can be in that’s not Disney World at this point you know I can speak I can speak to that I I can speak to that you know having known a lot of the same guys you know from Jacksonville I can speak to those trenches and and and kind of where you come from even without having read the book yet but you sold jerseys the Vintage jerseys every I think should know that story you were a hustler do you still have the same um the the the same Acumen and the same drive if that if if that happens St encounter didn’t happen in the airport where you met LeBron the Jersey thing for me was um something that I discovered through my love of fashion you know I was a young man shooting to New York for the day shopping on Fifth Avenue then I may shoot up to Harlem and Shop there you know just because you can get different things shoot up to Philly go to the Polo Mansion because they had certain buyers different buyers had certain Leathers you know me and my crew was always like that and so um it was just something in me as a kid uh through the foundation of my mom and dad who loveed to dress and things like that and then I always hung out with older people and so I bought my first house when I was 19 years old you know and when I bought that home the first thing I was shown was where the value was at kitchen and bathroom and then my man took me to the marble place and taught me the difference between marble and granite and and things of of that nature and so I’ve always just been cerebral from that perspective but I had a record deal at Atlantic in ‘ 06 you know where I had producers and artists signed to me I just always had that confidence to do something and so I was definitely going to I the same drive and don’t get me wrong like I’m blessed and and thankful for the opportunity that came in front of me right but I wasn’t no dummy by a long shot I just I just was a hustler you know and I was a hustler that hustled with Integrity which allowed me to make it out of them backyards and out of the side of them houses and abandoned building and things like that that I and them alleys that I that I made out of and you know and be able to weave in and out of traffic in the neighborhoods that was probably not aligned I’ll say what where I was from and so I’m appreciative of that too yeah Mike Rubin was just on the um greatness podcast with lwis house yeah I did Louis’s yeah so he asked him how do you create more luck and Mike said it’s about being a better person and what you just said right here like you said you you were um had Integrity yeah a hustler with Integrity so that eventually good things would absolutely going forward yeah that helps you get through with what your profile is I feel like you’re asked different things than most agents uh I don’t necessarily know if I pay attention to you more than I do other agents because of the respect I have for you but also too when you do and complete the deals that you have when you represent the sort of people that you do you’re going to a attract more attention a lot of times that attention makes people who could be in your position only thinking about their position not speak to truth recently when it came to Brony James you spoke to truth about nepotism you know and it’s something that we spoke about on this show as well you’ve also mentioned many times that you’ve done things that if your skin was a different color you’d be considered a genius right I think you mentioned uh the Anthony Davis deal in getting him to Los Angeles getting him the max contract that was if somebody else does that if somebody else comes out and publicly says they want to trade even if they get fined we like oh look how look how he manipulated the league how he worked we line up down the street for that person we line up for exactly so how have you been able to transcend that and become as successful and as accepted as you are while remaining authentic first first of all like I think people always take nepotism in a very negative way you know and if you know me I’m never trying to shine a negative light what I was explaining in that article was let’s not be hypocritical yeah because you know nothing but respect for Jim and Casey and I was explaining that they had positive influences whether that was through experience whether that was through a business that was built obviously Casey built his own business but having the influence and the experience to have a someone that persevered in the industry and that professionally position themselves in the industry that you can look back and understand exactly how they did things and the respect that came with that so now when I had the opportunity or he had the opportunity to build his own own business then he knew exactly what to do same thing with Jim his dad and he’s enhanced a business from that perspective and so I was saying that now in LeBron’s case as it pertains to his son it’s actually no different we look at it different because we’re only looking at the talent but he built the business through the lens of talent which we know is extremely hard to do and if that allow his son to have a positive um perception and a better opportunity for him and in this case actually it’s been a lot of negative criticism yes because of that but it only happens to the athlete right it doesn’t happen to the businessman which is what I was trying to explain and it wasn’t a negative thing it was actually a positive thing but you know in today’s world people take that and equate it with the Knicks and take this and no it’s not about that you know I know these people Casey and I are on the board of the LMA together we see each other all the time and we have Community conversation he owns a company I own a company we both lead companies there’s nothing but a respect and a friendship there um as well as if I was Toc seeed Jim you know I’ve talked to him conversations and when I go to the Garden I you know I have that relationship so it wasn’t a negative thing and I was using that as an example that we don’t have those examples consistently you know I’ve had time to spend I’ve had the honor of spending time with Junior Bridgeman his family is going to benefit from what he built okay that’s not negative that’s a positive thing but as it pertain to the black man in most cases there’s been far too many times that when a young black man needed that hand needed that you know um sounding board needed that opportunity there was nothing built right it was born have a child grow to a man have a child die or go to jail then now your child is you know grow up grow to a man have a child die go to jail and that thing so so now we’re starting over I buried my cousin buddy in 2008 he was 19 years old I just buried his son he was 17 years old you get what I’m saying so you can’t talk to me about something that I’m connected to I’m still there I’m still there even though I’m on the board of UTA you know I’m I’m I’ve built an unbelievable company I I own several different other companies I’m part of and on several different boards but I’m still there I’m not disconnected and if you know me I’m a vegan when it comes to negativity so anything that I talk about I’m shining a positive light on it from that or I’m giving you Clarity to help better understand the situation for you to move forward in and so it wasn’t a negative thing to talk about there and I think I was able to I’ve been able to transcend because people know who I am at at my core right and there’s no there’s no spite or no or no um even when I push back on things whether it’s about LeBron or any of my other clients right people only hear about the stuff where I push back on LeBron but it’s about every client I’m the same way about about every client no matter who it may be because that’s again that’s just how I was raised yeah and so I’m also not going to bite my tongue or not be authentic to who I am just because I’ve had some success or the position I’m in that again that don’t sit right to me either so I think you said that very eloquently but I 100% understood what you said when you said and I didn’t think I didn’t think it was negative but you mentioned how few opportunities African-Americans and minorities have had at quote unquote nepotism it’s not only that it’s the negative way in which it was looked at when you think about all these coaches in the NFL right and you’re saying he came from the Shanahan tree or this guy came from Andy Reed right you have all of these coaches who it’s not only family members it’s it’s friends and they have these connections and that’s always been okay that’s always been okay in business as well and just generationally with the history of racism we haven’t been allowed generational wealth we haven’t been allowed generational positioning which LeBron has earned he’s earned that and when you talk about positioning that’s the most important thing you know I talked to you know people within my company and I use coach pop as a positive example and I say to these guys hey if if if I can can if I can do what he did for you for his coaching staff yes for you and I look up and you are in the front office of this team and you in the front office of this team and you like to me that’s a positive thing that’s not shining that’s not a negative thing that’s a very positive thing and that’s a positive example that I have to be able to equate that to but there’s no black coach that I can equate that to right and and and coach pop of all people has been supportive of everything for for us and just for right period he color don’t matter it’s what’s right with him and and so I’ve always appreciated that and respected him for that but again the point I was making was where’s the example if we were looking for one from a black perspective it’s not there why because they’re not they’re not able to coach through their mistakes right and and some of it is also you get the opportunity and don’t value it just as much you understand what I’m saying and so again we have to have accountability and I’m not saying it’s always one way or it’s always the other way but it it was just one of those things where you know at the end of the day I say what I feel and you know this is my nephew that I’m talking about by the way and I know I’ve been with his dad forever and I know the passion that he’s had I know the the the Integrity that he’s had I know the care that he’s had and I know the open door that he’s had but but see I think people don’t understand this too again man there’s been so many things that that we set out to do and have done it right when you say we you’re talking about you and LeBron or just and Maverick and Randy and and and then and then also just as individuals you know you don’t know an athlete who has two guys that started with him that broke away did their own thing that he considered he continued to support and that did that right and positioned themselves as such and I’m and that’s not a flex no I’m just being honest but in addition to that right we’ve also had several conversations to where we were inclusive and you know what happened now we going to do our own thing or that’s y’ thing and we’re going to do this thing right but then when you see a Jay-Z and a Michael Ruby do business together now you want to do business together well it’s too you know it’s kind of too late in in in that regard right we missed the boat in terms of what we could the momentum we could have had and things we could have done you know already or if you see you know no one says anything when you when we saw Spielberg and geffin and kastenberg connect right they were that was smart of them and so I just think that you know the the the open-mindedness we need more of I think the the competitiveness yeah compete compete on the field but there’s an opportunity to collaborate and communicate in the boardroom that comes with strategy that comes with intent that comes with you know uh you know some type of uh understanding of the business that you’re trying to be in and where where that’s going and how you um formulate a team to help you become successful I mean everyone has brought you guys Investments you got to lean on somebody to help you understand you know the risk of that investment uh and I think there’s so many people that want to be a part of the announcement and not a part of the investment right I’m pretty sure you guys have went through that and word yeah that’s a word that’s a word it’s just true and so you know and that’s why I try to say to these guys in my space in the representation space I’m not competing with you bro like just no there’s no competition here it really isn’t right like you have to have a bigger mindset if you’re competing with me about who’s sitting in the Green Room you lost cuz I’m playing a totally different game brother I can guarantee you that that ain’t my complete competition and and so it’s allowed me to transcend it’s allowed me to be on boards it’s allowed me to be in rooms to where your boss respects me because we are aligned it’s when I’m at those dinners when I’m in those rooms I’m in those rooms not because I consider myself a celebrity I never wanted my picture snapped at nothing unless I was taking it home with me out the Polaroid that ain’t what we did you feel what I’m saying but at the end of the day I have a responsibility to at least leave the door open to at least get the information and get the idea to bring back to the nest it’s up to you if you want to eat or not right you know what I’m saying because in the world that I live in I’m around all of this to where some days I’m leading a charge the other days I’m a backseat driver and I don’t mind playing out of the road I’m perfectly fine playing playing either right now today I’m perfectly fine playing either road if you said to me yo Rich I got something for you man but it’s going you know I just you just got to participate but I don’t need you know prioritize or nothing if it makes sense sh cuz I got him back in my uncle’s car and just sat there cuz I didn’t want him to know I was there cuz I’m just trying to ride with him that’s it so to to that point bro and talk about nepotism I’ll say and it’s a long time it damn near 20 years ago you was Bri homeboy yeah you know what I’m talking about oh yeah yeah so to BR to be Braun’s homeboy and then to build what you built and just the whole what we just talked about nepotism and all that what did it take for you to jump out of being Bron’s homeboy where if you say Rich Paul now [ __ ] your picture pop up before you was the dude riding with BR like how did you overcome that cuz everybody that everybody that make it got a crew yeah but they crew ain’t do what you did a do what Maverick did they didn’t jump out like that again play your position star in your role to help the team win that was my mentality because I already knew who I was so when it came time for me to miss the section or to miss the boat trip or to miss the I didn’t mind doing any of that because I already know who I am you get what I’m saying and so there’s a a there was a profound respect for you know my position I was in um and I didn’t have no position to start but you got to remember when I met him I was a homeowner already yeah I’ve traveled I had Rolexes I had corms I I remember bought this watch this Corum watch I had back in the day and you know we was going to eat and my friends you know was getting caviar and having D we was doing this at as teenagers bro going to the Jazz Fest with big black Mory Gator on and Versace we were doing this at 16 17 years of age so when we got under the lights the lights wasn’t that bright for me cuz I had been here already but but in this case I can’t show that and I’m not trying to step in front of that right I want to play a role I’m going to play my role and so I understood how to sit back and do what was being asked of me but I was off the payroll in 2006 yeah and we used to talk about it and I think the reason why I was able to do what I was able to do and and obviously Maverick was able to do what he was able to do and the one thing I can say about us we’ve always shared it we’ve always shared it but what sports does and what these people around athletes do they drive a wedge they don’t want you to communicate they don’t want you to congregate they don’t want that that’s the last thing they want I seen that when I when I took my step and people fell forward you know how you go from here to here off of what somebody said that you don’t even know these people you don’t know these people we together all the time you get what I’m saying but it’s the conversation of yeah but now it’s going to be about you and we go and you don’t want that and you know this is turn key and that ain’t turn key well well this house wasn’t built it was just a piece of land until you actually built it so can’t don’t talk to me about TurnKey talk to me about your ability and your want to help me build and then it will become turn key it’ll be a bunch of keys we on the street you know what I’m saying yeah that’s how I think but you know to each his own and so I I had no I had and then the last point I’ll make on that what you were saying it all came down to my respect for him see when you get around any one of you guys you guys don’t owe us nothing I will I’m not his brother I’m not his blood brother I’m just not you know what I’m saying we don’t have the same mother I respect his mom as if she was mine and she treat me as if I was her son you get what I’m saying but I can’t expect for him I couldn’t at that time and I wasn’t going anyway but just I I say this to all guys around athletes they don’t owe you nothing because here’s what happened you go in the two years in you 3 years in maybe you get to four years in but then maybe you decide to have a family the moment you decide to have a family you’re no longer important I’m no longer important the only thing that’s important is your family right so now ain’t no need of you spending that extra ,500 on my flight that got to go to the kids you get what I’m saying and so it’s about having perspective I had a profound respect for him to that I don’t want to be carried along the way you know what I’m saying I’m just looking for an opportunity because there’s there’s there’s scarcity in Opportunities where we come from there ain’t no there’s no there’s there’s a scarcity in Opportunities we we the Flyers and you know this and you know that but then they hit you with but you don’t have any credentials yeah so yeah I didn’t graduate college but I got all the common sense in the world but that’s not helping me get through the door because I don’t have no paperwork but I just needed a platform once I was given a platform and a stage and then that helped me break down the doors once I get inside the room I can make it from there how did you feel about the rich Paul rules though same way I you know feeled about everything else gota hear with that you know what I’m saying but but at the end of the day I had to pay attention to it because again I’m in position already but it’s about those that’s coming behind me so for me to sit here and not highlight that or not say something about it or even do something about it then that means I’m only worried about me right and so when we wrote the opad in the athletic I talked about it like I work in the people business they brainwash us to think oh you got to have a degree and by the way it’s too many agents today by the way it’s too many but I can also blame myself because it used to be this gray um or this Cloud over representation and I don’t like to use the word agent but what agents was back in the day was shady they was you know it was kind of like a little greasy a little bit right slippery sneak all yeah but I’ve made it to where representing an athlete is a cool thing today right it’s oh man you can sit on the floor and you can do this and you can do that you can have this and and that’s great you we got to take the bit with the sweet when it come to that I think it’s too many right because now with nil and all these different things you know people don’t know and they’re just going for well they say they G I’m going to be their only person well that don’t help because if you my only guy then that means I have no ability to gather information I I got no experience I got no Lage at I got no relationships so now I’m experimenting right um and that’s not to say that not to give somebody an opportunity but there’s a way to evaluate if that opportunity is is worthy of the of the gift and that rule really struck a cord once I started to really think about it you know I’m saying like a higher education for me when I’m trying to work in the people business hm if I go to a certain University they’re not teaching me about people people you know the hypothesis or the or the writing a paper in the MLA MLA format that’s not teaching me about people having a final in science or whatever the case may be it’s not teaching me about people I can see if you said okay we have this program for representation or even for athletes that you only going to take the classes that apply to where you’re going so now that’s a financial literacy class that’s an investment class that’s a real estate class you know that’s a sex education class you know most people don’t know about you know a woman’s ovulation period and all the things that you have to learn you don’t know these things as a kid you got to learn these things really based upon your partner it just really bothered me man as well as a number of other things but you just got to continue to to do what you do and to persevere but um yeah the rich Paul R that was and and by the way they named it that I didn’t name it that the industry you know the internet named it that um because they were highlighting the fact that you had to have a a college degree and they knew I did not you you I think you’ve earned um you know you’ve earned that you know pretty much like you’ve earned the the the title you’re the most powerful nonone player nonone owner in in in the sport what does it even mean for the future of the you know the game for the players going forward will we see like half a million dollar deals half a billion half a billion dollar deals well yeah the business around our Sport and what that does to the BR is definitely growing I mean I can tell you that right now I mean Anthony Davis last year if his deal was like $76 million Jesus yeah for one year um I should have been told you know dearon Fox you know will probably do the same I mean look Jason and Luca Jason Tatum and Luca we seen jayen brown sign up one of the biggest the biggest deal last year and so when you talk about the growth of our game and where it’s going and and just through the lens of betting and through just again you look at the um the franchises and how their values grew we thought two billion was a lot of money and now look what’s happening right right and when you talk about that shared that that 51 to 49 as it pertains to owners and players it’s one of those things where it’s going it’s going to where we know it’s supposed to go we want it to go but I think you’ll see an environment to where you have the half and the half knots you’re taking out the middle class starting with football once football got to that point yeah with these with these deals and and and so we’re going to have to adjust to that the players are going to have to adjust to that I think you started to see a shorter leash on you know development of guys and guys understanding um you know being able to digest information you’re not getting those same you know um consecutive bites at the Apple teams are moving on a lot faster you see the veterans are no longer being you know you used to have two vets at the end of the bench now you got to hope to have one right there’s certain organizations like a Miami like what Sam prey did with Nick in Oklahoma um you know there’s there’s certain organizations you know Cleveland actually did it this year with Tristan there’s certain organizations that that are allowing to have at least one vet which I think is great I think is is necessary but for every you know get there’s something you have to give up the growth of the game LeBron is closer to the end of his career than the beginning has he expressed interest in participating in ownership I think he’s show he said that publicly obviously I don’t want to be an owner just to be clear I know people always think like he do we just go throw throw throw me yeah throw me in it no no um yeah and I think you’ll see a lot more of the athletes you know want to be in the ownership space I think it’s a slippery slope we really do um I know in our collective bargaining agreement uh that just passed you know they allowed the players to participate in ownership wow and that’s a slippery slow man because I think it’s important to really identify deal flow MH right and participate there and there’s a thing called circumvention of the cap which was a rule years ago when when contracts were very low to where um you know I may be signing you for 300 Grand but I’m only I only have 250 and I put a CAC in your driveway to make it even you know um that would be circumvention of the cap so to speak but you can’t do that like like like you know you’re not taking it you’re not going to be a $50 million a year player and take 25 like that’s just not happening so I think because of that there’s an ability to change that rule and then allow for players to be positioned a little bit different to where they’re able to compound the the the wealth that they actually generate you’ve been around it a long time and you say and I’ve watched you represent every player to the best of your ability not only the the player but the person mhm you said earlier that Bron is your nephew yeah there is an inherent difference in the responsibility you you have to feel when representing someone that’s that close to you you’ve announced that he will be staying in the draft I think that was May ago yeah as you proceed forward how much pressure do you feel in representing it the way I approach it RC is it’s the same with anything right um and I know people like well that can’t be true but it is like I’ve I’ve showed this example several times last year Chris livon was the last pick in the draft he got guaranteed money that’s never happened before it’s not my nephew still car for him the same when it came to to ad again the reason why I went on the record is because he’s not confrontational and so although he was unhappy he’s coming to work every day with a smile so I had to depend on the front office to say to the owner the truth I don’t know if they telling him the truth or not right all I know is things ain’t going nowhere and so I had to step out in in front of that you know um I’ve had clients that have been in situations that you know I’m not backing down from it right if I can stand there with you at the draft we take the picture it’s all good then I got to stand in the rain too without an umbrella we both just got to be able to get soak and wet as a in pause because I know cam will call me on all that I’m 44 man I ain’t Tri yeah right but you know what I’m saying like you need that and you and and so I just just it’s just like man like if I can look you in the eye and we have a conversation and you say to me hey I’m allowing you to represent me and I’m saying to you look it’s going to be a roller coaster it’s going to be UPS downs we going to you know we going to celebrate the wins and the losses the same way um we’re going to hold each other accountable at the end of the day it’s like if you have that report with somebody then there is no pressure on me because I know he know or whomever know like I’m going hard for them and we going hard for them as a company rich in that how much does when you come out and say okay we not accepting two-way deals yeah but do you know what that means the the two-way deals in you but most people don’t know most people don’t know what that means though you understand what I’m saying like the reason why I said that and again Brandon Boston went 51 he did not get a two-way deal right Taylor Horton Tucker went 46 he did not get a two-way deal what happens is and this is why we have too many agents most agents they want to just get their client’s name called there’s a pressure that comes with the draft and so when you sitting there and you got 30 a family of 30 people and that team is calling your phone and that team is saying oh we’ll take them right now but it’s got to be a two-way in that moment there’s pizza and wings and beer and you know sell balloons and all this and family and it’s like the kid is there and you know he’s like man only thing these kids want is to do what hear their name called right they don’t even understand what that means the aftermath of that they’re not understanding what that means it’s our job to protect them and I’m willing to go for Brandon Boston I was I was like man let’s go undrafted man I want to hear my name called bro you get what I’m saying but so now I got to balance out the two I have a profound respect for the GMS and their front offices and they have a profound respect for me all of them despite what anybody may you know fictitiously conjure up in these you know recruiting meetings with families or whatever but at the end of the day you understand that and the reason why I’m saying that is that’s not a buffalo thing that’s an understanding that if they make an investment you have a opportunity to have a a longer tenure yes okay and so now that team may is willing to roster that player that doesn’t mean you’re not going to play in the G League at all no I support the G League by the way the g- league is about development Deonte Murray 2019 Pi for the Spurs went to the G League Cory Joseph 29th pick for the Spurs went to the G League Taylor Horton Tucker played in the G League Brandon Boston played in the G League do you know there was Chris Livingston last year played in the G League Noah Clowney played in the G League this year do you know that if you look at the 2016 draft and this why everybody go crazy about the draft and having first rounders and all that it’s all [ __ ] but do you know about correct me if I’m wrong it’s about 22 18 to 22 first round picks that are no longer in the NBA Y and I’m talking about it’s starting early this ain’t like you know this is like four five 8 9 10 11 16 17 18 like it’s it’s crazy right so we put all this into the draft and we sell this to our kids with them not understanding the import of listen summer league has to look like this going in training camp has to look like this your attitude your approach your willingness to be coached you don’t get a optional day oh it was optional it’s not nothing’s optional when you barely in yeah there’s no optional that’s real the optional guys you know are all NBA perennial Allstar Max guys those are optional guys volunt voluntary workout volunt there’s no voluntary there’s Mand you’re always mandatory until you you know well bro to that point about the draft man bronnie is not a normal draft pick cuz who his dad is no he’s not and in that direction of representing him and knowing that his draft is going to have a lot to do people are saying I want to ask you have to do what his dad does and all that stuff like you represented you brought a bunch of bunch of dudes you represent and we know you’re a respected agent but bronny James is different than everybody else that’s ever been drafted first round you talking about ad you talking about Bron let me tell you something that’s not my Approach when I meet with bronnie I’m meeting with bronnie I’m not meeting with bronnie and Bron those are two separate clients those are two separate clients I owe that respect to bronie he’s the only only one that went through what he went through and fought back he went through that now his parents went through it alongside of him but it actually happened to him right it’s his dream it’s his passion it’s his want he don’t have to go to the NBA he don’t have to I mean you know his father had to he don’t have to he wants to because he have a love for the game but we have Rob Dillingham right Rob Dillingham best guard draft we have Terence Shannon we have you know Justin Edwards you know we have ID we have o we have KJ Simpson we have a you know and all these guys will tell you I approach it the same way and let me tell you something bronnie does not act any different than any of those guys in that gym and Rob who’s actually could cuz he go he he G he off the board right away right for us he’s going to be our first guy off the board he doesn’t act any we don’t do that man there’s no Tipton there’s no you know I don’t walk around with a earpiece in my ear telling the guy how great they is all [ __ ] day that [ __ ] is not life that’s not real you get what I’m saying and it’s because of those type of behaviors that we we’ we’ve created this ego Le environment when it comes to our athletes and you and you get to the point to where it becomes so ego driven that you miss you miss the op the real opportunity how do you well you talk about that ego and you talk about dealing with the player and you mentioned standing in the rain and everybody getting wet yeah when you have a guy that makes decisions like Draymond makes part you’re a part of that as well what’s the part that you play and not only him being aware and accountable for what’s going on but also finding a way for him to reconcile that and be I guess accepted back into well well first of all if you know Draymond he’s going to he’s going to hold himself accountable when he’s wrong now whether he do it in the public or the private that’s up to him but at the end of the day my conversation with him was very simple said D we talk every day by the way just talk three times a day already I said D said what’s good bro now he knows we going to have a real conversation CU we don’t sug Co anything with each other I said you’re a champion right said yeah said yeah said I need you to do something for me I need you to be the champion of change that’s what I need could you do that I got you I said it’s very important because for me just just taking my representation head off this is me and you talking you work too hard Bro you’ve already defi the odds under size four five you don’t jump over the hoop born with an unbelievable IQ basketball I IQ Champion four times over Defensive Player of the Year all NBA you’ve been on the USA team you have a post career which most guys don’t you actually have a post career most guys have to find their post career you actually have a post career we can’t mess that up because again going back to family this ain’t about you about DJ cash Olive your wife mom get what I’m saying it’s ain’t about you and for what it ain’t there’s no excuses made with us because there is no type of rebuttal or push back I got you bro now we’ve had the conversation why and you know you got to let you got to let people calm down or whatever the case may be and it’s battle it’s it’s competitiveness but now let’s talk about common sense cuz we out of the competitiveness train let’s talk about common sense you know again when the [ __ ] get bigger than the cat they going to get rid of the cat Jimmy told me that you get what I’m saying yeah and so for you it’s no sense of tearing down the house that you beautifully built about nothing right because we can’t get mad at when people go on TV and talk about it that’s your job right and the league and everyone else your organization they can only take so much okay okay but we have these conversation as men it’s not a scream a yell it’s not a demand there’s no one above nobody and I work for him I work for him but we have a respect a profound respect for one another to where that energy ain’t even there and that energy ain’t there with no player that I represent not one not LeBron not ad not Darius Garland not dearen Fox not Fred Van Fleet Zack LaVine Lonzo ball none of them the young guys coming in none of them miles brid none of them right and I’m standing there with them and everyone’s not for us and they’re not going to be for us because when it gets to those type of conversations got to have them that’s who you really know who’s for you and if you can have that conversation and then you snap right back into it like it was nothing then we move on and you know what they can do to me the same thing bro what’s that about tripping we had that I’m not perfect we all under construction I’m not perfect at all so having that and you guys when you played you would respect that you know what I’m saying and so those aren’t hard conversations for me those are necessary conversations because again New Edition made the song can you stay in the ring they made you stand in the r what are the conversation like with clutch Sports Group and the front offices of the WNBA well Jay Lees that who’s really good and you guys know our roster I mean we have an unbelievable roster led by Asia Wilson who’s the MVP and who’s the best player in the game just a beast but I was just with Kathy who is the commissioner of the WNBA it’s just supportive for us and and look I I hear all the hoop I think everything that’s happening around the game for the women’s game is is important and I think it’s um you know competition the game has always been competitive so I don’t even know why people trip tripping on that per se but I think there’s a collective effort of of um you know just eyeballs the reason that eyeballs are now being drawn to the sport I think it’s just time it’s betting it’s so many different things in terms of you know just the um just this this um growth of the game you know those women are out there and they got real game they actually play a more fundamentally sound yes game than the men they IQ you know um and so I enjoy the women’s game I grew up watching the women’s game and um you know like I I just enjoyed I’m not allowing myself to get into all the propaganda of it I just enjoy the game and I got to make more games cuz Chelsea and Asia they get on me but it’s just tough you know the schedules is tough but I do make the playoffs you know at least I try to make one for sure but yeah no I mean we have uh we represent Juju Watkins as well who is rising star met her I met her at uh upfront met her father awesome but don’t don’t don’t you got four on Team USA now no we got four on team I was going to say that I was going to say that we got four we got four on Team USA we got Jackie we got Asia we got juwel and we got Chelsea on the USA team so excited about that this summer you know and I you know what I have a great time when I’m around them I really do they we kick it like they kick it and and they enjoy me being around but I I I let them do their thing and give them their space but I like to hang I got a mean hesy they got got a me I don’t but I will tell you this as we close I’ve already hit up Kelsey and Asia about coming on the show so I’m glad you came on so after draft night after they go to the Olympics and all that I’m going be like hey Rich I need you to check back in with them because I need them on the show as they go win this next championship but man we appreciate you bro no I appreciate you that was amazing man thank you so much P it I here to witness it my people feeling militant when I’m feeling get me up on the mission get me up KN me I got the key only Vision I can trust trust Limitless n to me it i f here to witness it my people feelingit feel me up