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Star Power
Former WFU basketball standout is joined by friend Ludacris at fundraiser
Journal Photo by Jennifer Rotenizer
Chris Paul holds first-grader Riyan Careathers while the two read Peekaboo, Blue! at the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club.
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Published: September 20, 2008
The children sat wide-eyed as Chris Paul read from Peekaboo, Blue!
Then afterward, he took questions. Little hands went up, arms stretching so that Paul could see them. One child asked how Paul could run so fast up and down the basketball court.
"I act like it's a dog behind me," he said.
Another asked how it felt to be a star.
"I don't know," Paul said. "I don't think about it that much."
But there's no disputing that Paul is a star. A former basketball standout at Wake Forest, he now plays for the NBA's New Orleans Hornets. And this summer, he played on the U.S. Olympics basketball team, which won a gold medal in Beijing.
He is using all that star power for good as part of his third annual Chris Paul's Winston-Salem Weekend, a fundraiser for his CP3 Foundation. Yesterday morning was the Day of Service, which kicked off at the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club on Reynolds Park Road.
"There are so many things we take for granted on a daily basis," Paul said at the start.
Paul brought along a couple of celebrity friends, including rapper Ludacris, who headlined a concert Thursday night at Joel Coliseum.
Ludacris was right there beside Paul, this time without the shades he wore for most of the concert. Ludacris (real name Chris Bridges) said in a short interview yesterday that he and Paul share the same passion for community service. The two have known each other since before Paul was drafted into the NBA, Ludacris said.
The rapper started the Ludacris Foundation in 2001. The foundation is devoted to helping young people and families and fostering economic development, according to its Web site. "Being here and seeing what he's doing is a beautiful thing," he said.
Ludacris said those who achieve success have a responsibility to give back and to motivate others to do the same.
He also has been involved politically and urged people Thursday night to register to vote. Earlier this year, Ludacris found himself in some controversy after the release of a song called "Politics as Usual" in support of Barack Obama. In the song, Ludacris dismissed Hillary Clinton, calling her by a slur and saying that she was irrelevant. He also said that John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, should not be in any chair unless he's paralyzed.
When asked whether he had been in contact with the Obama campaign since the controversy erupted, Ludacris declined to comment.
"Register to vote," he said, a smile on his face.
Later in the gym, Paul was in his element. All that could be heard was the sound of balls bouncing on the polished wooden floor and the soft swish of a basketball going through the net.
Paul and his basketball buddies played with Special Olympics athletes. The NBA rookie of the year, Kevin Durant, cut an imposing figure, his 6-foot-9-inch frame towering over everyone else.
One Special Olympian aggressively played defense against Paul. Some trash talk ensued. "You know what happened last time," Paul said.
"That ain't nothing," the athlete replied. "Come on."
And Paul did.
■ Michael Hewlett can be reached at 727-7326 or at mhewlett@wsjournal.com.
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