The Unlikely Way Rich Paul Met LeBron James

Is LeBron James a better player than Michael Jordan? While that debate is forever a topic of discussion, one thing that is for certain is that James is one of the greatest basketball players of all time. At 37 — which is considered old for the sport of basketball — the Ohio native continues to break records and set the bar high for when he eventually retires. 

According to the NBA, no one in the league has scored more points than James in the last 10 years — and that's including the playoffs. Not only has the star athlete won four NBA championships, he's also scored the coveted MVP role more than 10 times — as well as countless NBA All-Star selections, per his stats on the NBA's official website.

From growing up in the city of Akron with big dreams to becoming one of the top prospects at such a young age, James was always destined for greatness. Especially with a little help from his agent, Rich Paul.

During his time at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Ohio, LeBron James scored an overall 2,657 points, 892 rebounds and 523 assists during his four years there, per Biography. But behind every successful athlete is an amazing agent — and a chance meeting with Rich Paul was James' ticket to the big time. While James has raw, pure talent that is still unmatched today, it was Paul who played a huge role in taking the basketball player's career to a whole new level.

In 2002, a year before James was picked in the 2003 NBA Draft, the two met — by chance — while at the airport in Cleveland. James, a junior in high school at the time, was about to board a flight to see the NCAA Final Four when he noticed Paul, a Cleveland native, wearing an authentic, vintage basketball jersey, according to ESPN. When James approached him to inquire about his outfit, Paul revealed that he sold such jerseys out of his car. And a partnership was born.

According to ESPN, LeBron James later hired Rich Paul to work for his company King James Inc. After some time, Paul then went on to work under Leon Rose — James' first agent — and learned so much while at Creative Artists Agency. "I just felt like Rich was someone I wanted to grow with," the NBA star told ESPN. "He'd always kept it real with me, and I wanted him to be down with my team," he added.

For nine years, Paul hustled his way to the top, always growing and learning from some of the top sports agents in the country. With a leap of faith and now an extensive knowledge in the industry, Paul founded Klutch Sports Group, per NewsOne. His agency quickly became one of the biggest within the NBA, gaining him high-profile clients like John Wall, Anthony Davis, Ben Simmons, and Lonzo Ball — just to name a few. "Rich is now a major threat to every large corporate agency that exists," said Chris Luchey, founder of CGL Sports.

According to Forbes, throughout James' career he has earned more than $1 billion — and as per Celebrity Net Worth, Paul is worth more than $100 million.