Wednesday, August 5th, 2009 at 12:14 pm  |  16 responses

CP3 in China, Day 3

Follow Chris Paul during his trip to China.

by Chris Paul

Today is my last full day in Guangzhou and it’s all about the kids and giving back to the community.

Just like the work in my own community through the CP3 Foundation, I wanted to learn more about kids in the underserved communities of China and what Jordan Brand and I could do to help.

There are many rules and regulations, but I had the opportunity to visit Donghui Primary School. It’s a private school, but not like a private school in the U.S. These kids are children of the migrant community, a large population of people that work extremely hard in difficult conditions, whose kids are often not able to attend regular public school. Donghui was created by it’s principal who invested his own money to give these kids a shot at a decent education.

We went there to help refurbish the school and dedicate new basketball courts that will be finished by the time the school year begins. These kids [ages 7-13—Ed.] had so much happiness in their eyes. They all play basketball and I got a chance to see what they knew about the game and show them a few moves to help them get better.

We broke ground on the basketball courts that day and I hope I might have the opportunity to come back and see the new courts, but also the hope in those kids’ eyes.

The rest of the day was spent meeting the hundreds of people that work hard to create my shoe, the Jordan CP3.II. It’s an amazing process and so much work done by hand. I have so much respect for the time and dedication it requires; I even met the person who paints the Hornet stinger (design element) on the shoe. If you think about it, it’s like wearing a one of a kind shoe each time you put them on.

Well, it’s been a great week in China, but it’s time to head back home. So many great memories of this trip too numerous to capture, but ultimately it’s the people that will make me want to go back and visit China again and again!

Read Chris’ day 2 diary here, and his debut diary here.

CP with students and faculty at Donghui Primary School.

CP with students and faculty at Donghui Primary School.

CP and Jordan Brand International GM, Gentry Humphrey, speak to the crowd at Donghui Primary School.

CP and Jordan Brand International GM, Gentry Humphrey, speak to the crowd at Donghui Primary School.

CP greets students upon arrival at Donghui Primary School.

CP greets students upon arrival at Donghui Primary School.

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  • Ron B

    NOW THATS A TRUE PROFESSIONAL RT THRER….NOT ONE TIME HE SAID ANYTHING ABOUT HIMSELF HOOPING….IT WAS ALL ABOUT THE KIDS….GOTTA LOVE IT!

  • dave
  • Teddy-the-Bear

    Chris Paul is the man. Giving back to the community no matter what country he’s in. I know its also for promotion of Air Jordan and whatnot, but major, major props for these entries. You guys hit the nail on the head with this one, SLAM.
    This trip must have meant the world to some of these kids. You don’t understand what experiences the poor go through in the countrysides, or even in the cities. To go into a school and do something like this is really something special.
    Man, I can’t stop smiling every time I look at these photos. Great job.

  • chingy

    class act

  • http://hibachi20.blogspot.com Blinguo

    Thanks Chris. And much respect to the principal funding the school out of his own pocket. Hey Gentry, pay raises for the factory workers. After the cheap labor and shipping/distributing costs, you profit well enough on every Jordan sneaker and can afford to pay more.

  • Teddy-the-Bear

    Co-sign Bling with authority!

  • chintao

    CP3 really seems to have fulfilled a strong desire to learn something about local life in China. The Black Joe Pesci has a more complex personality than many of his over-hyped peers. I’m sure everyone here would welcome him back with open arms. I’m digging him more and more these days.

  • ClydeSays

    Nice. CP3 is a class act. But he’s barely taller than those schoolkids.

  • Teddy-the-Bear

    Co-sign chintao. Where are you from in China?

  • chintao

    Born in Syracuse, NY; now living in Beijing, Teddy. You’re in the T-Dot, right?

  • danny

    Okay, seriously the comments on this site must come from some old guys or sumthing because…new bball courts for the poorer school?? Wow, that’s amazing thing nike did, and to be able to take a picture with chris paul, I’m sure that made their day. Of course people forget about nike’s shady business practices IN CHINA, and the fact chris paul didn’t really help the local area in any way. Pathetic.

  • knock knock

    What’s funnier, that chris paul talked about the hundreds of people designing his shoe by hand. Or that he met the person who draws a stinger on his shoe. The fact that they wrote about all of this, and most of these comments thank paul for all that he did is sad. Some people just are all over Cp3′s balls.

  • http://hibachi20.blogspot.com Blinguo

    How is his meeting them in any way a bad thing? Would not meeting the workers be better? Ignoring them, like most every player, not to mention shoe buyers everywhere. Keep your half wit, almost-a-point-but-not-really to yourself next time, simply just another excuse for you to say balls. Did you walk around all day for another chance to say it, balls balls balls in your head? That’s by far funnier. I suggested pay raises for those workers, outlining the way they rake in major profits allows them to do that. You suggested a look at me put down, on the internet, and nothing else. Yeah some people are sad, look in the mirror.

  • Mo

    I was wondering where the haters were. LMAO!

  • chintao

    Life is hard. When you have some little things, like a new court or a photo op with a big star (or an internet connection so that you can express a completely baseless opinion and vent your rage on the undeserving), it kind of makes you think that life isn’t a complete waste.

  • MIKE

    KNOCK KNOCK, GET A LIFE AND A CLUE!!

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