Sixty-One: Life Lessons from Papa, on and Off the Court

Instant New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller! A powerful and unexpected memoir of family, faith, tragedy, and life’s most important lessons.

The day after future NBA superstar Chris Paul signed his letter of intent to play college basketball for Wake Forest, he received an earth-shattering phone call. His grandfather, Nathaniel ＂Papa＂ Jones, a pillar of the Winston-Salem community where he operated the first Black-owned service station in North Carolina, was robbed, beaten, and ultimately died as a result of the assault. He was sixty-one years old.

The day after burying his grandfather, Paul coped the best way he knew how: by playing basketball. Making shot after shot, he approached the state high school scoring record, which was held by the legendary Michael Jordan. But his last attempt was an airball, purposely missed from the foul line before Paul exited the game. He accomplished exactly what he set out to do--honor his grandfather--and he did it by scoring sixty-one points.

In Sixty-One, Paul opens up about life beyond basketball and the role his grandfather and family played in molding him into the man and father he is today. He reveals the foundation of faith and family he built his life upon, what it means to be a positive light within your community and beyond, and the importance of setting an example for future generations. And he discusses important issues, which include race, law enforcement, education, economic opportunity, and other subjects as they have affected him, his family, the Black community, and America.

Powerful, honest, and intimate, Sixty-One is a revealing book by one of the most influential athletes of our time.

Chris Paul is a twelve-time NBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist. The Winston-Salem native currently plays with the Golden State Warriors. Off the court, he’s a father, husband, entrepreneur, activist, and philanthropist. He served as the president of the National Basketball Players Association from 2013 to 2021.

Michael Wilbon is an award-winning journalist and co-host of ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption. He has reported on sports for over thirty years, and worked with Charles Barkley on his books I May Be Wrong But I Doubt It and Who’s Afraid of a Large Black Man?, both New York Times bestsellers. He lives in Bethesda, Maryland.