Chris Paul came within a commissioner’s veto of becoming a Laker in 2011. Fifteen years later, another path to the franchise may be opening — this time away from the court.
Paul is a name to monitor as Bob Iger and Josh Kushner move forward with their $12.5 billion agreement to purchase the Los Angeles Lakers from Mark Walter, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne said Wednesday on NBA Today.
“Very close friend of Bob Iger,” Shelburne said of Paul. “He’s sort of a mentor to Chris Paul.”
Shelburne noted that Paul recently retired and described him as an “incredible basketball mind,” adding that she expects the two men to talk.
No position has been offered, according to Shelburne, and she did not suggest that a formal role is imminent. The sale must first receive approval from the NBA’s board of governors. Iger also told California Post Wednesday that the prospective owners have not made plans for organizational changes.
Yet the connection bears watching because Paul and Iger have spent more than a decade building a relationship that extends beyond basketball.
How Bob Iger Became Chris Paul’s Mentor
Their friendship began after Paul landed with the Clippers in December 2011.
The New Orleans Hornets initially agreed to trade Paul to the Lakers. Then-Commissioner David Stern, acting on behalf of the league-owned Hornets, rejected the deal. Paul was traded to the Clippers days later and became the face of their “Lob City” era.
Iger, then Disney’s chief executive, was a Clippers season-ticket holder who regularly sat courtside. During a 2021 appearance on JJ Redick’s The Old Man and the Three podcast, Iger said Paul expressed interest in meeting influential people after arriving in Los Angeles. A mutual contact arranged breakfast.
Paul asked Iger to mentor him. Iger agreed after determining that the point guard was serious about building a relationship.
“What began as mentorship,” Iger said, developed into a close friendship. They spoke frequently about business and their personal lives.
Getty(L-R) Bob Iger, Willow Bay, Jada Paul, and Chris Paul attend LACMA’s Opening Gala for The David Geffen Galleries at Los Angeles County Museum of Art on April 16, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
The relationship became important to the NBA during the coronavirus pandemic. Paul was then president of the National Basketball Players Association, while Iger’s Disney controlled the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida.
Iger, Paul and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver participated in discussions that helped shape the league’s 2020 bubble. The Lakers eventually won the championship there.
What Chris Paul Could Offer the Lakers
Paul retired in February after 21 seasons, closing a career that included 12 All-Star selections, 11 All-NBA honors and two Olympic gold medals. His résumé also includes six years leading the players’ union, giving him unusual experience at the intersection of basketball, labor and league business.
That background could make Paul valuable in several capacities, although attaching a potential title to him now would be speculation.
The Lakers remain under their current leadership while the sale proceeds. Iger and Kushner have said they intend to respect the franchise’s existing structure and the agreement keeping Jeanie Buss involved.
For now, Paul is not a confirmed Lakers executive, adviser or investor. He is simply a trusted friend of a prospective owner and, according to Shelburne, someone worth watching as the franchise enters another transition.
After the strangest non-trade in Lakers history kept Paul out of their uniform, an old relationship could bring his basketball mind to Los Angeles anyway.
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