FORSYTH COUNTY, N.C. — The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education were all in favor of renaming the gym court at West Forsyth High School in honor of NBA star Chris Paul.
Paul graduated from West Forsyth in 2003 and went on to play basketball at Wake Forest University between 2003 and 2005.
He has played in the NBA for 18 seasons and has earned honors including:
- 12 All-Star Game selections
- 11 All-NBA Team selections
- Six steal titles
- Five assist titles
Sports professionals in WS/FCS agree that Paul is one of the greatest athletes to ever come through the district.
Paul has always been willing to take on a leadership role in his community both on and off the court, whether it was as the student body president at West Forsyth or as the president of the National Basketball Players Association.
He's been a part of many philanthropic activities throughout his career, supporting programs for financial literacy, health education, workplace diversification and civic leadership among students through the Chris Paul Family Foundation.
Students and community organizations spoke out at the public hearing and wrote letters about the potential name change.
West Forsyth Principal, Kevin Spainhour feels that leaning into Paul's legacy will be an effective way to inspire students to invest in themselves and in their communities the same way he has.
"Perseverance, integrity, discipline, a willingness and a commitment to excellence," Spainhour said. "All those values that he stands for, those are the values that we discuss with our current students."
A ceremony will be held to recognize the name change on Thursday, September 1 at 2:30 p.m.