Early Years
Chris Paul was born in Lewisville, North Carolina in 1985 as the second son of Charles Edward Paul and Robin Jones, two years after Charles "C.J." Paul in 1983. Charles and Robin were childhood friends who grew up in Winston-Salem and were members of Dreamland Park Baptist before marrying in 1982. A former athlete himself, Charles taught his sons the games of basketball and football and coached them in various youth events throughout their childhood. Paul was a gifted athlete, going to the national Pop Warner football championships as a quarterback and linebacker on the Lewisville Titans Junior Pee Wee team, and winning several 14U AAU national tournaments in basketball.
Besides athletics, the Paul brothers spent their summers operating the cash register, rotating tires and changing air filters at Jones Chevron, a service station owned by their grandfather Nathanial Jones on their mother Robin's side. Affectionately known as "Papa Chilly" throughout the community, Jones had operated the station, the first such African-American-operated service station in North Carolina since 1964 during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. Paul describes his grandfather as "his best friend" and credits many life lessons to him.
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Famous quotes related to early years:
“Even today . . . experts, usually male, tell women how to be mothers and warn them that they should not have children if they have any intention of leaving their side in their early years. . . . Children don’t need parents’ full-time attendance or attention at any stage of their development. Many people will help take care of their needs, depending on who their parents are and how they chose to fulfill their roles.”
—Stella Chess (20th century)