Chris Paul’s career continues to flourish on and off the floor – and to no one’s surprise, Phoenix Suns point guard is now saving the lives of former players!
Not understanding what this is all about? Well, continue reading to find out why!
Basically, Chris Paul is also the President of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) and he has played an important role in saving lives of former players by helping them pay for their medical insurance.
The playmaker also mentioned that he wanted to give back to the people who’ve helped him in his journey – in trail blazing the path that helped him succeed in the league.
In his statement, he said that he acknowledges that these guys have paved the path for him even when they didn’t have the required resources as well as the training mandated to achieve it all. He pointed out that those guys had to play for such a long time and endure hardships but are left with injuries and medical bills all piled up. When it came to his knowledge, he realized that it was big. He believes that when his tenure as President of the association ends, that would be his greatest achievement.
Before he held this powerful position, all the players had to find their own way to mend injuries and pay for medical bills without insurance. He spoke about the circumstances that the players go through to Hall of Famer Nate Archibald. Apparently, it has come to light that the players union even tried to raise funds for health insurance in 1970s. However, it failed and because of that, Oscar Robertson (his former teammate) had to go out of his way to help players who didn’t have access to benefits.
Archibald went on to become one of the beneficiaries of Paul’s initiative back in 2016 when he had attended the NBPA-sanctioned heart screening. Previously, it was believed that he was clean and had a transparent bill of health. These assumptions were proved wrong when he got diagnosed with amyloidosis, which is a protein buildup that stops the heart from normal functioning. It’s quite a risky condition, and it’s tragic that he got diagnosed with something so serious, and that too, at the age of 68!
After two years, Archibald got a heart transplant and he had the support of NBPA insurance. Harvey Catchings, the father of WNBA icon Tamika Catchings, was soon diagnosed with a leaky heart valve, which also required a heart transplant. He, too, was supported by a medical insurance plan in 2019.
Apart from these two, Spencer Haywood, Reggie Slater Otto Moore, Chris Morris, and Howard Smith congratulated and showed gratitude to Paul for his projects. They appreciate his efforts and role as the leader of the NBPA!
Thus, it can be said that more than being an all-star player, Chris Paul is a hero in real life and has truly touched the lives of people around him!
For more information, like our page on Facebook!