Chris Paul has more stories to tell than basketball, and this time it is about his grandfather. It was somewhere around mid-November in 2002. Five young boys jumped a 61-year-old man, tied his wrists, duct-taped his mouth, and hit him with pipes until his heart gave up. Not a personal vendetta, but it was for the wallet. The man we’re talking about is Nathaniel Jones. Jones is the grandfather of future NBA star Chris Paul. And today, those boys are men, around the same age as the LA Clippers guard. However, they have one more thing in common.
What could be common between the criminals and the victim’s grandson? Well, all of them want to be free. And Chris Paul is ready to forgive the people responsible for his grandfather’s death. That’s not something you’d expect from the grandson of the victim, right? But, again, to understand the real depth of Chris Paul’s close-knit relationship with his grandfather, you need to know Nathaniel Jones first.
Who was Chris Paul’s grandfather, Nathaniel Jones?
Nathaniel Jones wasn’t just another average man. On the contrary, he was someone who had a long-lasting effect on the people of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. But, if you were to go and ask about how the people of the city felt about Nathaniel Jones, they’d probably ask you, “Who’s that?” That’s because to the people of the city, Jones was “PaPa Chili.” This moniker got attached to Chris Paul’s grandfather after he opened up the first black service station in the entire state of NC.
So it hit hard when he was no more. “I’ve probably tried 30 homicide cases,” Paul Herzog, one of the defense attorneys from the case, told ESPN. “It’s very rare for a family survivor in a murder case to feel that way. You just don’t see that ever. That’s incredibly generous of Mr. Paul.” Those are some big words, especially from someone who’s spent most of their life in courtrooms. However, do you know who taught Chris Paul to be this generous in life? Of course, it was none other than this granddad.
In fact, during their off time, even the nine-time All-Star and his brother helped their granddad. Nonetheless, PaPa Chili was best known for his generous nature as he let people run tabs when the times were rough. However, his giving nature did not stop there; he even sometimes would go as far as picking up his hard-earned money from the cash register and helping out folks. Yeah, now you know where CP3 gets his forgiving nature from. But, this wasn’t the only impact that Jones had on his beloved grandson’s life.
How did Chris Paul’s grandfather influence his life?
Apart from teaching Chris Paul how to be forgiving, there were a lot of things that the LA Clippers star picked up from his “best friend.” As we mentioned, Nathaniel owned a service station where Paul, along with his brother, would often go to lend a hand. That’s where the future NBA Hall of Famer learned how to work hard and also give back to society. So, you could say that the competitive Chris Paul we all see on the court is courtesy of his granddad.
Speaking of which, Nathaniel did not just teach Paul life lessons; he was also one of the few people who helped CP on the court. The Clippers guard’s grandfather taught him a few of the moves we see him do on the court. Not just that, but he was also arguably the No. 1 fan of Paul’s game. So much so that the day Paul committed to Wake Forest, Jones was the first person to put a Demon Deacons hat on him was his grandfather. However, the tragic part is that he never got to see Paul suit up for Wake Forest.
What happened to Chris Paul’s grandfather?
The next day, after Nathaniel Jones celebrated his grandson’s signing with nearby Wake Forest, he was no more. As we mentioned, a group of five boys, none of whom had past criminal records, apart from one, decided to rob someone. That someone turned out to be Chris Paul’s grandfather, who was coming home after closing his filling station and getting out some grocery bags from his car. “Let’s go get him,” one of them said.
They sprinted across the park and jumped him using some tape they bought from the drugstore. Soon, they began attacking Jones until tragedy struck, and he was no more. The five boys, who were reportedly nearly 14-15 at the time, did not realize what they had just done, nor the consequences of their reckless action. Soon, the law enforcement caught them, and they were convicted and sent to prisons across North Carolina.
Some were put behind bars for 14 years, some for life, until recently, when the court gave a controversial hearing. While Christopher Levon Bryan, Jermal Matthew Tolliver were released after serving their time, just a few days ago, brothers Nathaniel Arnold Cauthen and Rayshawn Denard Banner were released back into the community despite a lot of backlash. Now, we await the next hearing, as we understand how Paul honored his grandfather’s demise.
How did Chris Paul honor his grandfather’s legacy?
It was never easy for Chris Paul. He was just a high school senior then, and was so sick he could hardly walk, let alone play a game. However, he knew that he had to play the next game for West Forsyth High School, for PaPa Chili, and he did exactly that. In fact, he did something that even without a doubt would’ve put a smile on Jones’ face. CP put up a stunning 61 points that night, each representing a year of his grandfather’s life. It wasn’t random. He chose the number, and the story is far from over.
Feb 5, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) walks off the court after a victory over the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
He even missed a free throw on purpose to end the game with 61 points, as he burst into tears and then collapsed in the arms of his father. His grief, as we can imagine, was beyond anything, but that day, Paul showed everyone what he was made of and achieved everything he set out to do. Now, over two decades later, the 40-year-old is one of the best point guards in history, and we’re sure PaPa Chili is still his No. 1 fan somewhere in the heavens.
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