Chris Paul gave everyone on Instagram an opportunity to watch a basketball game with him last month. It wasn’t an NBA game; rather, Paul hyped up the HBCU Tip-Off at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.
As he watched the game, Paul encouraged his followers to support historically Black colleges and universities’ basketball while also taking questions.
“These HBCUs are so grateful to even be a part of this,” Paul said on his Instagram live stream. “A lot of these different universities never get an opportunity to play on these different stages, so that’s what this is about. It’s about giving them an opportunity so they can get out there and showcase.”
Paul is a major advocate for HBCUs — and Friday, he’ll be an HBCU graduate. The former Wake Forest standout, who started his college educational journey in 2003, will participate in commencement ceremonies at Winston-Salem State, graduating with a degree in interdisciplinary studies. Paul left Wake Forest for the NBA in 2005 after two seasons at the school.
Paul partnered with Boost Mobile to help put on games as part of November’s HBCU Tip-Off, and this weekend, he’ll partner once again with Boost as the HBCU Challenge takes place Saturday and Sunday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in in Las Vegas. Norfolk State, Hampton, Texas Southern and North Carolina A&T will be featured in the two-day event.
The goal is to use the partnership between Paul, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Boost Mobile to increase awareness and opportunities for HBCUs, with Paul leveraging his status and influence to aid the cause. Social media announcements, celebrities highlighting the institutions and NIL deals have helped to make the schools more visible to a broader audience, and games aired nationally — like this weekend’s event by ESPN networks — assist in that mission. It also helps with recruiting.
“I’ve been blessed at Hampton, where we’ve been able to recruit nationwide, but (the showcase) gives a lot of us that don’t have an opportunity,” Hampton coach Edward Joyner Jr. said. “Now with social media and guys like Chris and all these games, Boost Mobile and things, we’re able to reach living rooms that we weren’t able to reach before.”
Bringing attention and awareness to HBCUs has been something Paul has done for years. He grew up around many in and surrounding North Carolina and has long-standing relationships with several institutions.
In the last few years, some blue-chip recruits have been looking at HBCUs for a variety of reasons. Makur Maker became the highest-rated recruit to commit to an HBCU in the modern era of college basketball when he signed in 2020 with Howard in Washington, D.C. He chose Howard partly because of seeing some of the country’s civil unrest and wanting to make a statement. His lone year there was cut short by injuries amid a pandemic-shortened season, but there’s hope within the HBCUs that other top recruits will consider a similar path.
Part of that hope is based on visibility for a larger audience, which Paul seeks to give with his two showcases aired on ESPN networks.
“I hate to put it this way: Now it’s cool for a kid to at least give you a look,” Joyner said. “At one time, it was hard to get those looks from a certain caliber of athletes because they were being told they couldn’t get exposure from what people were getting from bigger universities on bigger platforms.
“Now with (events) like this and the exposure that we’re getting, we’re getting four- and five-star kids on our campus to at least give us a look. That’s the start to the process to changing the narrative.”
Elevating the profiles of players isn’t the only goal. Some of the best coaches in college basketball history have come from HBCUs, including Winston-Salem State’s Clarence “Big House” Gaines. Several HBCU coaches have established a tradition of winning at their programs but do not get the opportunity to interview at bigger programs.
“There are not only student-athletes but a number of coaches who need to be exposed to this kind of opportunity so people can see the level of abilities that they have for producing at the next level, wherever that might be,” said Stephen Joyner Sr., uncle of Edward and head coach at Johnson C. Smith, which played in November’s HBCU Tip-Off. “That’s the importance of it: being able to be seen, being able to have a seat at the table, if you will, so that people will know that you exist, that you’re capable and that you’re deserving of an opportunity.”
Johnson C. Smith’s Ezekiel Cannedy (5) competing against Clark Atlanta University at the HBCU Tip-Off in November at Mohegan Sun Arena. (Joe Buglewicz / Getty Images)
Paul said Boost Mobile and the Basketball Hall of Fame are “incredible partners” in the mission to put more spotlight on HBCUs. Boost provides NIL deals to HBCU athletes, and company CEO Stephen Stokols said Paul’s vision is in line with theirs in terms of empowering athletes.
“There’s full alignment with what the Boost brand is trying to do, who we’re trying to serve and who he’s trying to serve as well, so there’s really conceptual alignment on that piece, which really makes it all make sense,” Stokols said. “He’s trying to provide a showcase for these athletes, we’re trying to make sure they get the spotlight as well. So, there’s good conceptual alignment with Chris Paul, his team and everyone working on it.”
Paul isn’t the only athlete carrying the banner for HBCUs, but he might be the most visible and has been for some time. Stokols said with Paul’s “ambition,” the showcases can get “bigger and bigger” and include even more schools.
Another key is the games are being brought to different areas. Paul hosted a showcase in Phoenix in 2021 to go with this year’s games in Connecticut and Las Vegas. Paul has looked to give attention to several other schools.
“Chris is to be applauded for some of the things he’s trying to do with his platform certainly,” Stephen Joyner Sr. said. “We’re aware and heard of things he’s doing in our hometown of Winston-Salem with Winston-Salem State and also a couple of things he’s doing with North Carolina A&T. I’m glad to see that’s been broadening and opening up opportunities for others like Johnson C. Smith, Clark Atlanta and Xavier.”
The NBA has been more active in promoting HBCUs. The league hosted a showcase during Summer League in Las Vegas. HBCU basketball also will be featured during NBA All-Star Weekend, as Grambling is scheduled to play Southern as part of the NBA HBCU Classic in February in Salt Lake City. It’ll be the second classic, as Howard played Morgan State last year during All-Star festivities.
Paul said during his Instagram live that he believes there are ways to get more high-profile players to HBCUs. Technology can play a huge role because some of the best high school players in the country arrive on campus with large social media followings.
There’s work to be done to get some schools on par in terms of amenities, but regardless, Paul is committed to doing what he can to put HBCUs on a bigger stage.
“With social media and with all the different awareness and stuff that people got going on, we ask some of these kids to go to some of these HBCUs; they’ll get that notoriety,” Paul said. “They’ll be able to be seen. Obviously, there’s a lot of players in the league and all around the country talking about the facilities and whatnot, trying to get those up to a certain standard or level. It’s all for the opportunity to make sure these guys get the platform and the opportunity to showcase their talent.”
— The Athletic’s Doug Haller contributed to this report.
(Top photo: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
