April 6, 2026 • 12 mins
From Indianapolis at the Final Four, we welcome NBA legend Chris Paul, who joins us on behalf of Lilly, to discuss how health takes all of us—and it’s what keeps us moving forward.CP3 also talks about his life post NBA retirement, getting to spend more time with his family, looking back on his time in New Orleans and Houston, and his potential future in coaching.
While in Indy, Chris led a Lilly hosted basketball clinic to help young athletes build productive habits early while spotlighting the importance of health throughout life. The Final Four brings people together across generations, which is a great opportunity to celebrate Lilly’s 150 years of advancing science and improving lives.
Events like the Final Four create a unique opportunity to remind people, including youth, that progress is built over time, and it starts with health.To learn about Lilly and their awareness initiatives through sports, visit Lilly.com and follow on Instagram @EliLilly
While in Indy, Chris led a Lilly hosted basketball clinic to help young athletes build productive habits early while spotlighting the importance of health throughout life. The Final Four brings people together across generations, which is a great opportunity to celebrate Lilly’s 150 years of advancing science and improving lives.
Events like the Final Four create a unique opportunity to remind people, including youth, that progress is built over time, and it starts with health.To learn about Lilly and their awareness initiatives through sports, visit Lilly.com and follow on Instagram @EliLilly
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Run along here and a pleasure now to be joined
by an NBA legend.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
He is Chris Paul CP three.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
He is up there in Indianapolis working around the Final Four,
doing some great work with the folks over at Lily
and CP. I understand you're hosting what a youth basketball clinic?
Tell us what you got going on up there?
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Yep, youth basketball clinic. I'm here with Lily and it's
just really cool to be here at the Final Four
as they celebrate one hundred and fifty years of advancing
science and improving lives. I think it's a perfect partnership
with me for me because the combination of talking about
health and wellness and getting a chance to work with
(00:37):
kids and show them at an early age how important
it is to focus on your health and you're well being.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
I do want to talk a little basketball with you.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
That's so cool, by the way, all the stuff you're
doing up there and all the work Lily does.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
But I'll start here.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
I'm sure you've been asked a million times, but our
audience you decide back in February to retire after Hall
of Fame caliber twenty one seasons. You always hear guys
say when you know, when you know you know it's
time to step away. What made you say, okay, now
it's the time.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
It was. I sort of gave myself a deadline right
with my family. I was working out training to go
to a team if it made sense. But I gave
myself a deadline as far as All Star weekend. Right.
If I wasn't on a team by the end, then
I would. I don't know if it's be done or
(01:28):
just you know, decide to retire, to get excited for
life and what's next. And it made sense.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
It's I'm sure your your agent's phone keeps ringing the
last few months.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Some teams out there always do.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
I hope, I hope my agent's phone I ain't ringing. Well,
if it is ringing, I know what they better say.
If they answered, say you're you're done.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
No, no more entertaining and it's done.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Yeah. No, I'm cool. I'm great. I'm great where I
am and and the things that I'm experiencing.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
I'm from New Orleans originally, I was there when you
got drafted. Those those first few years of your career.
New Orleans amazing brought basketball excitement back to the Crescent City.
I gotta ask you, man that that seven o eight
Hornets team, you David West, Tyson Jaylor, Pasia, you guys
be dirking the MAVs of the first round. You take
the Spurs the seven games in the Semis, you were
(02:20):
up in that series, so close to making that deep run.
I feel like that was probably the best team New
Orleans has ever had? Do you feel that way when
you look back on that team.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
It's definitely one of the best teams I was ever on, right,
especially the timing, you know, after Katrina, after the All
Star Game, being in New Orleans that year, and the
bonds that I made with those teammates or something that
I'll never forget.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Do you remember what it was called? The aliup to
Tyson Taylor.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
The Crescent City connection. Come on?
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
You learn over your career, you know that that some
teammates or just teammates, but some guys become family. And
that time in New Orleans, those guys and those teammates,
those relationships will last a lifetime. And when you're that young.
I was my early twenties at that point my career.
As you go on, you start to realize how important
(03:18):
those relationships are. But more than that, how important, like
your health and wellness is right and you can play
these games year and year out, and to be older
now to reflect and see guys and teammates. When you
see each other, you talk somewhat about sport and about basketball,
but more than anything, it's about how are you doing,
(03:38):
How is your health, how's your family doing.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
So it's crazy too that we just passed the twenty
year anniversary of Katrina. Does it feel like it was
twenty years ago?
Speaker 3 (03:48):
You know, it doesn't feel like it was twenty years
ago until you see the documentaries and you watch things
about it, and probably I look at my kids. What
really hit me was last year when I was playing
with the We were headed to the arena in New
Orleans and we were riding down Canal Street and I
started talking to my teammates about how all this was underwater, right,
(04:10):
And I said something abou Katrina, and some of them
was like what, And so I had to pull up
pictures and show them what it looked like. So those
are probably the times when you realize that it's been
twenty years.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
When when you go back to visit New Orleans, what's
what's the one food spot you have to hit up
when you're there.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Uh Man, probably Portocoll, Okay, probably Portocoll. It's just the
just the symbolism of it, right and walking there, you know,
through the French Quarter. But and then obviously Cafe Dumont,
which that's here or there for people who are local
(04:49):
or not. But more so when I'm in New Orleans,
it's just good to see the people.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Oh yeah, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
By the way, I'll always remember, you know, little Chris
Steal in the spotlight at some of your postgame pressers.
I couldn't believe when I saw he's almost seventeen. Now,
I got to think you're ecstatic at least being able
to get to spend some more time at home with
the family.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Now, right, I tell you, with Chris being sixteen now
my daughter being thirteen, That's why when you said if
any teams are calling, I know what the answer is,
because I'm getting a chance to spend more time with
them than I ever in my life, just like my dad.
I think I played golf with my dad my brother yesterday,
and my dad plays golf every day that ends, and
(05:29):
why right, and I have I haven't spent as much
time as I spent with him in the last few months.
I haven't spent that much time with him in the
last few years because it's always basketball. And so the
connection between my kids along with my dad, right, is
that the thing that's fleeting is time, and the only
(05:52):
thing that you have that is more valuable than that
time is your health. Right, that health is what keeps
us moving forward. So if I were to continue to
play year after year after year, that's more days and
time that I would miss with my parents and with
my kids. So I'm grateful that I just get this
(06:15):
extra time with them.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
I saw the video you posted on your Instagram with
the family. You might have a reality show there if
you want to, if you want to sell the heights there.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
My family definitely is a reality show. It definitely is
a real reality show. And it's it's crazy because I,
like you talk about those New Orleans days and all
of that. Like, my NBA career has been unbelievable and
I'm so grateful for it, and twenty one years is
(06:45):
not the norm. But I have a lot of life
to live and I hope that that's the case. And
the only reason I got a chance to play that
long is because of how I focused on my health
and wellness, and now there's another aspect of life that
I have to to focus on as far as.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
That, Yeah, continue to talk about your health.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Of course, Lily doing some great things up there, like
we talked about it up there in Indianapolis. You went
on to have some great years in LA with the Clippers,
and then I got to cover you again when you
came to Houston and pair with James Harden.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
I believe CP that seventeen eighteen team. I stand by.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
If you don't get hurt, you guys are going on
to win the championship. You had that three two lead
on the Warriors. You back me up on that.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Yeah, no question. That team was just different in all aspects,
the way that we started off the season with training camp,
with just the connectivity that that team had. Mike D'Antoni
was an amazing coach. That is easily one of the
top three teams that I've been on in my career.
(07:50):
And it's crazy, it's not until I talk about things
like this that I remember all these different phases because
it's literally different decades. You know, you was talking about
eight and then we were just talking about six. Seventeen
eighteen with Houston, and then fast forward to when I
played in Phoenix. Right, It's easy to forget one of
(08:13):
the different things. But every team was different in their
own aspect.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
I think a lot of folks weren't happy in Houston
when you got traded. You go to okay See and
you played a high level there. Man, you showed, hey,
I could still ball at a high level. In hindsight,
if you had stayed in Houston, if they had not
moved on from me, do you think you guys would
eventually want a title with hardin what's injured?
Speaker 3 (08:34):
If that doesn't happen, right, So my injury that happened
my second year in Houston. If I don't get injured,
I may not play as long as I played. Right
when I got hurt, it taught me a lot. I
made a lot of changes with my training, my health, everything.
So you think that was my fourteenth year in the
(08:55):
NBA when I got hurt that second year in Houston.
I ended up playing seven more years years, Right, And
so yeah, I enjoyed playing for D'Antoni and I was
I always say that third year in Houston probably would
have been special because I was just finally getting used
to it. But everything happens for a reason. And in
(09:17):
some situations they say time, you know, it's sort of
heels all some situations, right, But uh, it was what
it was, and you know, you just have to move forward.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
What's crazy, too, is that that time in Houston sports
there was so much star power. You had JJ Watt
and the Texans they were a playoff team in Yeah,
Verlander al and you were at some of those Astros
playoff games too.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
I went to a lot of those Astros playoffs and
it's it's funny to think about my son because my
son was playing baseball at the time, so we would
go to the Astros games and he'd be like that,
I can't wait to see Joe Altuve and we was
like saying, it's Jose. But yeah, that was a fun
(10:03):
time to be in Houston.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Just a couple more for you.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Talking with Chris Paul on Behalf of Lily, you said
early on in your career you could maybe see yourself
coaching one day.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Obviously you just retired, but is.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
There a path down the road maybe getting into coaching
or you haven't even thought about that.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
I am into coaching, so I love coaching. AAU basketball.
I coach every summer with my AAU teams at the
Peach Jam. And what I actually do this upcoming year
is I'll be assistant coach at my son's high school.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
That's awesome, yeah, and probably one of the best coaches
to have out there. One more time, I want to
give you a chance to shout out, Lily one hundred
and fifty years of advancing sites and improving lives, and
you're helping to highlight the importance of health with some
of these young athletes up there in Indianapolis.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
No question Lily's one one hundred and fifty year anniversary.
And to be a global company that connects generations just
focusing on health and wellness. This is a lot of
fun for me to be here in Indianapolis where their
headquarters is. They helped so many people millions around the world,
(11:09):
and so for me to be here and just to
be able to give back. And it starts with the kids.
I think that's probably the most important part. And for me,
through the camps and basketball camps that I've been able
to have over the years, I've learned and being a
parent is that it starts with the kids. I realized
(11:30):
I've taught my parents a lot of things about health
and wellness, right, It's very rare that you actually teach
your parents things. But with science and technology evolving the
way it is, and medicine and all that, it's really
cool to be able to hear, be able to be
here and get in front of these kids.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
And of course if anyone wants to learn more, you
can check out Lily dot com for their awareness initiative
initiatives through sports and on Instagram at Eli Lilly for
more info.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
CP.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
Congrats to what you're doing, man, best of luck in
life post retirement. This has been a real treat. You're
one of the great dudes to ever play the sport.
And keep up the great workman.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
All right, man, thanks Chris, great to see you too,
Run along here and a pleasure now to be joined
by an NBA legend.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
He is Chris Paul CP three.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
He is up there in Indianapolis working around the Final Four,
doing some great work with the folks over at Lily
and CP. I understand you're hosting what a youth basketball clinic?
Tell us what you got going on up there?
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Yep, youth basketball clinic. I'm here with Lily and it's
just really cool to be here at the Final Four
as they celebrate one hundred and fifty years of advancing
science and improving lives. I think it's a perfect partnership
with me for me because the combination of talking about
health and wellness and getting a chance to work with
(00:37):
kids and show them at an early age how important
it is to focus on your health and you're well being.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
I do want to talk a little basketball with you.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
That's so cool, by the way, all the stuff you're
doing up there and all the work Lily does.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
But I'll start here.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
I'm sure you've been asked a million times, but our
audience you decide back in February to retire after Hall
of Fame caliber twenty one seasons. You always hear guys
say when you know, when you know you know it's
time to step away. What made you say, okay, now
it's the time.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
It was. I sort of gave myself a deadline right
with my family. I was working out training to go
to a team if it made sense. But I gave
myself a deadline as far as All Star weekend. Right.
If I wasn't on a team by the end, then
I would. I don't know if it's be done or
(01:28):
just you know, decide to retire, to get excited for
life and what's next. And it made sense.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
It's I'm sure your your agent's phone keeps ringing the
last few months.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Some teams out there always do.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
I hope, I hope my agent's phone I ain't ringing. Well,
if it is ringing, I know what they better say.
If they answered, say you're you're done.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
No, no more entertaining and it's done.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Yeah. No, I'm cool. I'm great. I'm great where I
am and and the things that I'm experiencing.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
I'm from New Orleans originally, I was there when you
got drafted. Those those first few years of your career.
New Orleans amazing brought basketball excitement back to the Crescent City.
I gotta ask you, man that that seven o eight
Hornets team, you David West, Tyson Jaylor, Pasia, you guys
be dirking the MAVs of the first round. You take
the Spurs the seven games in the Semis, you were
(02:20):
up in that series, so close to making that deep run.
I feel like that was probably the best team New
Orleans has ever had? Do you feel that way when
you look back on that team.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
It's definitely one of the best teams I was ever on, right,
especially the timing, you know, after Katrina, after the All
Star Game, being in New Orleans that year, and the
bonds that I made with those teammates or something that
I'll never forget.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Do you remember what it was called? The aliup to
Tyson Taylor.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
The Crescent City connection. Come on?
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
You learn over your career, you know that that some
teammates or just teammates, but some guys become family. And
that time in New Orleans, those guys and those teammates,
those relationships will last a lifetime. And when you're that young.
I was my early twenties at that point my career.
As you go on, you start to realize how important
(03:18):
those relationships are. But more than that, how important, like
your health and wellness is right and you can play
these games year and year out, and to be older
now to reflect and see guys and teammates. When you
see each other, you talk somewhat about sport and about basketball,
but more than anything, it's about how are you doing,
(03:38):
How is your health, how's your family doing.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
So it's crazy too that we just passed the twenty
year anniversary of Katrina. Does it feel like it was
twenty years ago?
Speaker 3 (03:48):
You know, it doesn't feel like it was twenty years
ago until you see the documentaries and you watch things
about it, and probably I look at my kids. What
really hit me was last year when I was playing
with the We were headed to the arena in New
Orleans and we were riding down Canal Street and I
started talking to my teammates about how all this was underwater, right,
(04:10):
And I said something abou Katrina, and some of them
was like what, And so I had to pull up
pictures and show them what it looked like. So those
are probably the times when you realize that it's been
twenty years.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
When when you go back to visit New Orleans, what's
what's the one food spot you have to hit up
when you're there.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Uh Man, probably Portocoll, Okay, probably Portocoll. It's just the
just the symbolism of it, right and walking there, you know,
through the French Quarter. But and then obviously Cafe Dumont,
which that's here or there for people who are local
(04:49):
or not. But more so when I'm in New Orleans,
it's just good to see the people.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Oh yeah, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
By the way, I'll always remember, you know, little Chris
Steal in the spotlight at some of your postgame pressers.
I couldn't believe when I saw he's almost seventeen. Now,
I got to think you're ecstatic at least being able
to get to spend some more time at home with
the family.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Now, right, I tell you, with Chris being sixteen now
my daughter being thirteen, That's why when you said if
any teams are calling, I know what the answer is,
because I'm getting a chance to spend more time with
them than I ever in my life, just like my dad.
I think I played golf with my dad my brother yesterday,
and my dad plays golf every day that ends, and
(05:29):
why right, and I have I haven't spent as much
time as I spent with him in the last few months.
I haven't spent that much time with him in the
last few years because it's always basketball. And so the
connection between my kids along with my dad, right, is
that the thing that's fleeting is time, and the only
(05:52):
thing that you have that is more valuable than that
time is your health. Right, that health is what keeps
us moving forward. So if I were to continue to
play year after year after year, that's more days and
time that I would miss with my parents and with
my kids. So I'm grateful that I just get this
(06:15):
extra time with them.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
I saw the video you posted on your Instagram with
the family. You might have a reality show there if
you want to, if you want to sell the heights there.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
My family definitely is a reality show. It definitely is
a real reality show. And it's it's crazy because I,
like you talk about those New Orleans days and all
of that. Like, my NBA career has been unbelievable and
I'm so grateful for it, and twenty one years is
(06:45):
not the norm. But I have a lot of life
to live and I hope that that's the case. And
the only reason I got a chance to play that
long is because of how I focused on my health
and wellness, and now there's another aspect of life that
I have to to focus on as far as.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
That, Yeah, continue to talk about your health.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Of course, Lily doing some great things up there, like
we talked about it up there in Indianapolis. You went
on to have some great years in LA with the Clippers,
and then I got to cover you again when you
came to Houston and pair with James Harden.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
I believe CP that seventeen eighteen team. I stand by.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
If you don't get hurt, you guys are going on
to win the championship. You had that three two lead
on the Warriors. You back me up on that.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Yeah, no question. That team was just different in all aspects,
the way that we started off the season with training camp,
with just the connectivity that that team had. Mike D'Antoni
was an amazing coach. That is easily one of the
top three teams that I've been on in my career.
(07:50):
And it's crazy, it's not until I talk about things
like this that I remember all these different phases because
it's literally different decades. You know, you was talking about
eight and then we were just talking about six. Seventeen
eighteen with Houston, and then fast forward to when I
played in Phoenix. Right, It's easy to forget one of
(08:13):
the different things. But every team was different in their
own aspect.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
I think a lot of folks weren't happy in Houston
when you got traded. You go to okay See and
you played a high level there. Man, you showed, hey,
I could still ball at a high level. In hindsight,
if you had stayed in Houston, if they had not
moved on from me, do you think you guys would
eventually want a title with hardin what's injured?
Speaker 3 (08:34):
If that doesn't happen, right, So my injury that happened
my second year in Houston. If I don't get injured,
I may not play as long as I played. Right
when I got hurt, it taught me a lot. I
made a lot of changes with my training, my health, everything.
So you think that was my fourteenth year in the
(08:55):
NBA when I got hurt that second year in Houston.
I ended up playing seven more years years, Right, And
so yeah, I enjoyed playing for D'Antoni and I was
I always say that third year in Houston probably would
have been special because I was just finally getting used
to it. But everything happens for a reason. And in
(09:17):
some situations they say time, you know, it's sort of
heels all some situations, right, But uh, it was what
it was, and you know, you just have to move forward.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
What's crazy, too, is that that time in Houston sports
there was so much star power. You had JJ Watt
and the Texans they were a playoff team in Yeah,
Verlander al and you were at some of those Astros
playoff games too.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
I went to a lot of those Astros playoffs and
it's it's funny to think about my son because my
son was playing baseball at the time, so we would
go to the Astros games and he'd be like that,
I can't wait to see Joe Altuve and we was
like saying, it's Jose. But yeah, that was a fun
(10:03):
time to be in Houston.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Just a couple more for you.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Talking with Chris Paul on Behalf of Lily, you said
early on in your career you could maybe see yourself
coaching one day.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Obviously you just retired, but is.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
There a path down the road maybe getting into coaching
or you haven't even thought about that.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
I am into coaching, so I love coaching. AAU basketball.
I coach every summer with my AAU teams at the
Peach Jam. And what I actually do this upcoming year
is I'll be assistant coach at my son's high school.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
That's awesome, yeah, and probably one of the best coaches
to have out there. One more time, I want to
give you a chance to shout out, Lily one hundred
and fifty years of advancing sites and improving lives, and
you're helping to highlight the importance of health with some
of these young athletes up there in Indianapolis.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
No question Lily's one one hundred and fifty year anniversary.
And to be a global company that connects generations just
focusing on health and wellness. This is a lot of
fun for me to be here in Indianapolis where their
headquarters is. They helped so many people millions around the world,
(11:09):
and so for me to be here and just to
be able to give back. And it starts with the kids.
I think that's probably the most important part. And for me,
through the camps and basketball camps that I've been able
to have over the years, I've learned and being a
parent is that it starts with the kids. I realized
(11:30):
I've taught my parents a lot of things about health
and wellness, right, It's very rare that you actually teach
your parents things. But with science and technology evolving the
way it is, and medicine and all that, it's really
cool to be able to hear, be able to be
here and get in front of these kids.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
And of course if anyone wants to learn more, you
can check out Lily dot com for their awareness initiative
initiatives through sports and on Instagram at Eli Lilly for
more info.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
CP.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
Congrats to what you're doing, man, best of luck in
life post retirement. This has been a real treat. You're
one of the great dudes to ever play the sport.
And keep up the great workman.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
All right, man, thanks Chris, great to see you too,
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Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.