Chris Paul, Candace Parker, and Kristyn Cook discuss mentorship, legacy, and life after the game during a powerful Boardroom Talks Live event at NBA All-Star Weekend.
During NBA All-Star Weekend, the stage at Boardroom Talks Live, hosted in partnership with State Farm®, felt more like a reflection point than a panel. Moderated by TJ Adeshola, the conversation brought together hoops legends Chris Paul and Candace Parker, along with State Farm‘s Chief Agency, Sales & Marketing Officer Kristyn Cook, for a discussion that stretched far beyond basketball.
The weekend was celebratory, but for Paul, it carried added weight. After more than two decades in the NBA, the 12-time All-Star is closing an era. Asked how he feels in this moment, Paul didn’t lean into nostalgia.
“I don’t know. I’m excited. It’s been an unbelievable career, which I’m extremely grateful for, but I’m excited for what’s next,” he said. “So I’m sure it won’t be easy, but I’ll take it one day at a time.”
Later, when Adeshola pressed further, Paul’s answer revealed the center of gravity in his life.
“I think you could feel heavy, but I actually feel pretty light,” he said, crediting his family. “When you know that you can wake up and I know I can look at my son and my daughter, and they were the ones who I talked to about this decision, don’t nothing else matter. So, given that, I’m as light as I can be.”
That theme, perspective earned through time, echoed throughout the conversation.
Parker reflected on her own All-Star journey, one that didn’t follow a straight line. Olympic years, injuries, and motherhood delayed her early appearances. When she finally stepped onto the stage, gratitude replaced expectation. She still remembers watching Allen Iverson as a kid and imagining herself there one day. Now, as both a former player and a broadcaster, she sees the event through a dual lens — competitor and storyteller — and understands what it represents to the next generation.
For Parker, inspiration came from figures like Magic Johnson, who modeled what it meant to be more than an athlete. Watching him, she said, changed how she viewed her own brand and business future. Motherhood deepened that responsibility. Seeing her daughter look up to her teammates reframed leadership in real time.
Paul’s path to mentorship started with curiosity. As a young player, veterans like P.J. Brown and Bobby Jackson taught him professionalism, sometimes in subtle ways, like showing up hours before tipoff. But it was his early involvement with the NBA Players Association that broadened his lens. Sitting in 18-hour labor meetings in his early twenties, listening to owners debate the collective bargaining agreement, reshaped his understanding of the league as a business.
“The only way you find out that stuff is to ask questions,” Paul said. “And I continue to ask questions because you don’t know what you don’t know.”
Cook, who refers to herself as a “corporate athlete,” connected that mindset to the boardroom. For her, the same discipline and resilience learned on the court apply in business. She often references a mantra she admires: pressure is earned. Leadership, she suggested, is about creating space for people to grow and sometimes fail.
The conversation also highlighted Paul’s 13-year partnership with State Farm, a collaboration that transcended commercials. The iconic “Cliff Paul” campaign blurred the line between athlete and actor, but the relationship ran deeper, into community programs, HBCU initiatives, and long-term trust.
“You can be the best basketball player or whatever you want to be, and all this stuff, but a brand partnership like State Farm literally changed my life, seriously,” Paul said. “It took me away from just a basketball player.”
As the discussion turned to legacy, both Paul and Parker emphasized building before the final buzzer. Investments in teams, tech, and media weren’t post-career pivots; they were parallel tracks. Ownership, equity, and board seats represent more than financial upside; they symbolize presence in rooms where decisions get made.
By the time the rapid-fire questions wrapped, the room had moved beyond highlight reels and endorsement deals. What lingered was something quieter: a blueprint for longevity. All-Star Weekend is often about flash. But on this stage, it was about foundation — family, curiosity, mentorship, and the long game of building something that lasts well after the lights dim.
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