Just hours after announcing his retirement from the NBA, Chris Paul spent All-Star Weekend stepping into a different role: AT&T brand ambassador.
The newly retired point guard partnered with the telecom firm on a series of community-focused activations tied to the brand’s broader All-Star presence, which coincided with the 150th anniversary of the first phone call. As part of the effort, Paul spoke with HBCU athletes and participated in a live-streamed shoot-around with fans.
For Paul, the partnership was more than another brand appearance.
“AT&T has been a part of my life and my family, but I never thought about doing something with them,” Paul said. “It’s crazy to think about partnerships that are a part of your story. AT&T played a pivotal role.”
Both his grandmother and father worked for the company—his grandmother for 30 years and his father for a decade—making the collaboration feel personal, according to Paul. During a recent campaign shoot, “The Point God” even asked to keep a branded basketball so he could give it to his grandmother.
“My dad was trying to take it,” he joked.
Bringing connection to the community
AT&T used All-Star Weekend to showcase how it’s positioning basketball as a cultural connector, building experiences designed to bring fans closer to the game and to each other.
Paul’s schedule reflected that approach.
At Venice Beach, he joined Fortnite streamer Clix for a community event and livestream competition as part of AT&T’s Dunk District, a pop-up activation blending street basketball, gaming, and creator culture. The effort paired NBA talent with digital personalities in an attempt to bridge traditional sports audiences with online communities.
The brand also returned as title partner of the Slam Dunk contest and built fan experiences throughout NBA Crossover, including spaces where attendees could recharge both their phones and themselves.
Another centerpiece of Paul’s involvement was the HBCU Classic, where AT&T served as presenting partner for a matchup between Hampton University and North Carolina A&T State University. He met with the players ahead of the game to talk about the opportunity to compete on the All-Star stage.
Similar to his connection to AT&T, Paul also has a link to the world of HBCUs. Although he played his college basketball at Wake Forest, Paul entered the NBA Draft and left the school without graduating. But in 2022, he enrolled at Winston-Salem State University, an HBCU, where he received a bachelor’s degree in mass communications.
