Rich Paul: You can’t skip steps. I didn’t start representing LeBron James until my ninth year

Rich Paul: "You can't skip steps. I didn't start representing LeBron until my ninth year. He came into the league in '03, and I started representing him in 2012. Prior to that, I did all these different things, and he was able to look from afar and say, 'The plane leaves at 2, Rich ain't late. Rich missed the boat trip, why? Oh, because he's at Boo Williams Tournament.' I wasn't trying to just be there for the gear, I wanted that too, but I wasn't there just for that. When they call on me, I'm a consumer, so I know exactly what to say, and I'm not afraid to say it, in front of him or anybody else. Today, I created a business card; we didn't have that before. You had the relationship, but you didn't have the position. All these agents, they didn't relate to the player like that. You can't skip steps."

What's the buzz on Twitter?

Wes Goldberg wcgoldberg New #NBA show w/ We play "More Likely" that... – LeBron or Steph wins a 5th ring – Paolo or Chet is better longterm – Bucks or Suns go further in the playoffs and more! Plus, Ben Simmons SZN open.spotify.com/episode/0YViIX... – 8:34 AM Bobby Marks BobbyMarks42 Joel Embiid is now part of the $500M+ club, joining LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Paul George and Kevin Durant. pic.x.com/obdh5la2dl – 8:04 AM Ramona Shelburne ramonashelburne His career earnings will swell to $514.8 million with the new agreement, fourth highest in NBA history, trailing only LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Paul George. Embiid's deal closes out one of the most productive off-seasons in franchise history, including the commitment of – 8:03 AM Jorge Sierra hoopshype "LeBron James is the best because he doesn't get bored with success. Everywhere he goes, he wins, both on and off the court. He invests in himself, in his education, in partnerships, and helps others. That's what makes him different." hoopshype.com/lists/greivis-... – 1:05 PM CBS NBA CBSSportsNBA NBA's top 10 players 35 and older: LeBron James still near the top entering age-40 season, but he's not No. 1 cbssports.com/nba/news/nbas-... – 11:07 AM Aron Phillips the_real_aron Shams not even mentioning Woj today is like if LeBron never acknowledged MJ. Game gotta recognize game. – 10:50 PM StatMuse statmuse Overtime leaders over the last 10 seasons: PTS — DeMar DeRozan REB — Anthony Davis AST — LeBron James STL — Jrue Holiday BLK — Myles Turner FGM — Russell Westbrook 3PM — Steph Curry FTM — DeMar DeRozan pic.x.com/nrkop0ope7 – 5:10 PM StatMuse statmuse The Pistons' starting five the last time they beat LeBron James: — Delon Wright — Wayne Ellington — Jerami Grant — Blake Griffin — Mason Plumlee pic.x.com/3jhecdc5fv – 4:01 PM Jorge Sierra hoopshype The most common age of All-NBA selections in league history. The longevity of LeBron/KD/Curry is basically an aberration. pic.x.com/ogjmenmvzf – 5:59 PM Alex Kennedy AlexKennedyNBA Topps is releasing Victor Wembanyama dual-autograph cards with LeBron James, C.J. Stroud, Shaquille O'Neal, David Robinson, Tony Parker and Jason Kidd. There are 10 copies or less of each card. The packs featuring these cards are $8,000 each. profootballnetwork.com/topps-cj-strou... – 5:41 PM CBS NBA CBSSportsNBA LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant enter another season as top-10 talents — enjoy it while it lasts (By cbssports.com/nba/news/lebro... – 1:55 PM Ball Don't Lie Balldontlie First look at the Netflix docuseries "Starting 5", which follows Jimmy Butler, Anthony Edwards, LeBron James, Domantas Sabonis, and Jayson Tatum on and off the court (via pic.x.com/9dsfypomcc – 1:24 PM Law Murray LawMurrayTheNU Los Angeles Lakers rotation chart The only standard contract changes are rookies Dalton Knecht and Bronny James in place of Taurean Prince and Spencer Dinwiddie. JJ Redick is fourth head coach of LeBron James Lakers era. youtu.be/_MCAH4AxMtU?si... pic.x.com/tnjt0qin1f – 12:21 PM Sean Cunningham SeanCunningham The official trailer for the new Netflix series "Starting 5." Sacramento Kings C Domantas Sabonis is one of 5 NBA stars featured in the 10-part series, joining LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards & Jimmy Butler – set to premiere Oct. 9. pic.x.com/l9m6wrkk6l – 12:06 PM Wes Goldberg wcgoldberg Netflix's NBA series "Starting 5" will premiere Oct. 9 with 10, 45-minute episodes feat. LeBron James, Jimmy Butler, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards and Domantas Sabonis. Official trailer: youtube.com/watch?v=WEFbNZ... – 12:00 PM CBS NBA CBSSportsNBA CBS Sports' annual NBA Top 100 is here. 10 analysts voted on the top 100 players for the 2024-25 season. 99. Klay Thompson 68. Michael Porter Jr. 58. LaMelo Ball 30. Chet Holmgren 8. LeBron James 1. Nikola Jokic Full list cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-t... – 10:45 AM StatMuse statmuse Rookie LeBron: 20.9 inished top 10 in MVP voting. pic.x.com/jindpwtopy – 9:04 AM

More on this storyline

Greivis Vasquez: In the NBA, 90 percent of players are role players. There's only one LeBron James, one Steph Curry, and a few other superstars. The rest fulfill specific roles. Young players coming into the league shouldn't focus on being the star, but on what they can bring to the team that's different from the stars. My career was about fulfilling a role. I never had the chance to play for a team like Golden State, where a role player like Shaun Livingston thrived. But we were similar players, able to run a team. If I had been in the same position as him, I believe I could have done the same thing. You have to understand that most players in the NBA are there to complement the stars, not be the stars themselves. -via HoopsHype / September 19, 2024 "The Decision" was a sign of the direction of travel in sports, media and culture. It signaled the shift in power from gatekeepers, whether "owners" or ESPN talking heads, to the athletes themselves. Nowadays, Decision-like spectacles are a regular part of high school football and basketball players announcing their college team. Top athletes like James no longer have "entourages" but diversified media and investment companies. What was once dismissed as narcissism is now personal branding. "He got killed for it," said Adam Mendelsohn, a media advisor to James who joined soon his team soon after "The Decision." "Even from day one back then, I thought it was visionary. This is where the world is going, but people just weren't ready for it." A veteran of politics, Adam has served as part of a circle of advisor to James, other athletes and many companies that operate in the nexus of sports, media and culture. He's recently launched his own publishing effort, OffBall, which is a throwback to the Drudge days of curation rather than algorithms. -via The Rebooting / September 19, 2024