Tax for just hanging around one of the greatest hoopers of all time! Sounds ridiculous, right? Well, then welcome to the world of Rich Paul, one of the most successful sports agents in the NBA world. After dropping out of college because of a family reason, Paul hustled his way up to build his own castle. However, living in that castle came at a price. A hefty price tag indeed. The 43-year-old has just revealed the dark past that strangled him just for being LeBron James‘ friend, just a friend, not his agent.

We all know about the magical old friendship between King James and his super-agent. For those who don’t know, it’s an example of real camaraderie. Teenage Bron was in the pursuit of becoming a pro athlete and came across Paul, who was selling authentic jerseys outside Akron-Canton Airport. The bond in time grew stronger, and James included him in his payroll after his NBA debut. Eventually, in 2013, Rich established Klutch Sports and became what he is now.

But, before reaching the destination, Rich Paul had struggled with overly burdensome tax, which will sound baffling to most. Speaking of his past, the star sports agent made a shocking revelation. “The challenges I had to face in the industry. Was everything from, you know, I had to pay a tax for being LeBron’s friend,” King James’ friend said on the MILLION DOLLAZ WORTH OF GAME podcast.

Elaborating on it, Rich Paul continued, “‘You’re LeBron’s friend, so you’re not going to care about me. You got him.’ After all the receipts. Receipts normally mean something. But sometimes, in most cases, I had to pay a tax for that. I had to pay a tax for this (referring to the skin). It’s another tax.” It’s certainly a draconian motive behind the number of taxes slapped on an up-and-coming businessman. But how did he overcome this? Paul answers.

How much money does ‘LeBron’s friend’ take home after all the taxes?

This is an inspirational story for anyone who’s trying to break all the barriers. After Rich Paul listed down the number of taxes he had paid during his growing days, we all have one specific doubt. How much money did he actually take home? Capturing the audience’s pulse, the podcast host asked, “So you got to pay the 50% to the government. Another tax for being Bron’s friend. Another tax for being black… what did you left with? 10%?” 

This is where Rich Paul speaks right from his heart. The seasoned sports agent said, “My dignity and pride, my resilience to overcome all that and keep stomping.” Well, his resilience has certainly paid off. Saying it once again, he went on to become one of the most successful sports agents in the NBA, with a net worth of $120 million.

After starting Klutch Sports with LeBron James as the inaugural client, Rich Paul has some of the prominent superstar clients under his wing. To name a few, AD, Draymond Green, and Lonzo Ball. So far, his company has dealt with around $1.4 billion worth of contracts in the NBA. Currently, he is representing Bronny James as well. The star agent has come a long way, beating all the odds.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.