It’s officially Rich Paul season. With the NBA’s February trade deadline now closer than the start of the season, rumors of potential moves for the league’s biggest names are picking up steam. And many of them are tied to Paul, the Klutch Sports Group founder and UTA Sports co-head who is one of basketball’s most powerful people. He just turned 42 years old.
Paul now has clients on 24 teams, including Bulls star Zach LaVine, who could be on the move. Paul also works for Warriors forward Draymond Green, playing an active role in his potential return from an indefinite suspension. And he remains close with LeBron James, who had a key role in Paul’s ascent. Klutch represents NFL stars now, too, including Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, and recently acquired Rep 1 Baseball as it continues expanding.
But Paul has increasingly made headlines himself as well. He now sits on the board of Hollywood representation firm United Talent Agency as well as Live Nation Entertainment. He has taken on the NCAA over rules limiting who can represent young athletes. Recently, Paul published a best-selling memoir and has been public about his relationship with 16-time Grammy winning artist Adele.
Here’s what else you need to know about the sports agent.
How did Rich Paul and LeBron James meet?
Paul and James first met in 2002 at the Akron-Canton Airport as they awaited a flight to Atlanta. James, who had already appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a teen basketball phenom, was initially impressed by the throwback Warren Moon Houston Oilers jersey Paul wore that day. A friendship developed, and after James was drafted in 2003, he added Paul to his payroll, creating an inner circle along with Maverick Carter and Randy Mims.
How did Rich Paul become a super agent?
Paul began working at Creative Artists Agency (CAA) under James’ then agent, Leon Rose. In 2012, James left CAA to join Paul’s new Klutch Sports Management company based out of Cleveland. Klutch is an acronym for knowledge, longevity, understanding, trust, communication and honesty, according to Paul.
At the time of James’ departure, a CAA source described the venture as “a little four-person business.” Paul’s other early clients included then-Clippers guard Eric Bledsoe and Cleveland Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson. It has since grown dramatically.
Now, Klutch has more than 70 employees across Los Angeles, New York and Atlanta offices. The firm added a “significant” investment from UTA in 2019, expanding the UTA sports division from a client base of four to 23. “This puts us in direct competition with the largest agencies in the world,” Paul said at the time. That summer, he got his own Sports Illustrated cover.
As one NBA GM told The New Yorker of Paul, “He is absolutely unrelenting in getting his players what they want, and he will use every means available to him to do that.”
Did Rich Paul go to college?
Paul dropped out of college during his freshman year after his father died of intestinal cancer in 1999.
Paul’s educational pedigree became a topic of conversation 20 years later, in 2019, when the NCAA introduced a rule preventing agents from representing college basketball players considering the NBA Draft if they did not have a bachelor’s degree. James was among the critics of the limit, calling it the “Rich Paul Rule.” Following additional backlash, the NCAA dropped the requirement in favor of a system that allowed waivers for certain agents.
Who does Rich Paul represent?
Paul’s clients at Klutch reportedly include: LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Zach LaVine, De’Aaron Fox, Draymond Green, Dejounte Murray, Dereck Lively II, Cam Reddish and Tyrese Maxey. Ben Simmons reportedly split with Klutch in March.
Are Rich Paul and Adele married?
Paul has become known to an entirely different segment of the cultural world through his relationship with Adele, which was first reported on in 2021 following a courtside appearance together at the NBA Finals. In September 2023, rumors emerged that the two were married. However, Paul has not said as much.
During an appearance on CBS, Paul commented on the pairing, saying, “we’ve been great for each other,” but he avoided any mention of a wedding. “It’s not for the media,” he said of their relationship. “It’s not for paparazzi. It’s for us.”
What else does Rich Paul do?
In October, Paul released a memoir, Lucky Me: A Memoir of Changing the Odds, which was written with Jesse Washington and which included a foreword from James. The book quickly became a New York Times bestseller. Paul said he opted for a book over a digital media project or movie to encourage young people to read and see a success story they could relate to.
Last year, Paul was among a group that invested $263 million in toy company Funko; he joined their board of directors in the process.
In 2023, Paul announced a partnership with New Balance to create a shoe and clothing line called Klutch Athletics.
