Lucky Me: A Memoir of Changing the Odds
Author: Rich Paul
A polarizing agent from the jump, Rich Paul’s memoir confirms one thing: he’s been a room-shaker long before he began his career.
I decided to read Paul’s story following this past summer’s NBA free agency, largely surrounding LeBron James’ next destination. The weight of his decision was felt across the NBA world and beyond; even the commissioner himself publicly urged James to make a decision in order for the league to finalize next year’s schedule.
In the eye of this business hurricane lies his agent and childhood friend, Rich Paul, CEO of Klutch Sports Group.
Whether you like him or not, LeBron James is a multi-billion dollar asset. Being LeBron James’ manager comes with multi-billion dollar complexities to navigate. A lot of people’s ability to put food on the table, in one way or another, depend on LeBron James. So where does his childhood friend from the streets of Glenville get the qualifications for this kind of job?
Most people’s rational thought process ends here, and thus the gap gets quickly filled with stark criticism, citing luck and cronyism for Paul’s success.
But then I got curious. LeBron James has more than one childhood friend, more than one trusted advisor, and certainly more than one person in his circle of loved ones that he takes care of financially.
How, then, has Rich Paul been the only one to build a 10-figure empire out of their connection?
So I bought his book.