Chris Paul

Chris Paul, known by the nickname CP3, is an American former NBA basketball player and regarded as one of the best point guards of all time. Despite never being part of a championship winning team, he has many accolades to his name including winning the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, an NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award, and two Olympic gold medals.

Chris made his NBA debut in 2005, playing for the New Orleans Hornets (now New Orleans Pelicans) and his first professional season earnt him the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. In 2007 Chris was selected for his first NBA All-Star Game and continued to play for the Hornets until 2011 when he transferred to the LA Clippers and gave the team a much-needed boost. Chris Paul remained with the Clippers until 2017 when he was traded to the Houston Rockets. The early 2020s saw Chris Paul bounce from team to team – including the Phoenix Suns – until he returned to the LA Clippers in 2025 to play his final season.

Why Chris Paul is vegan

Chris Paul is vegan for health.

Chris Paul went vegan in June 2019 to improve his performance on the basketball court after working as Executive Producer on the Netflix documentary The Game Changers.¹St. Clair, J. 2020. NBA Star Chris Paul on His Plant-Based Diet. Men’s Health. Available: https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a30500407/chris-paul-diet-vegetarian/ [Accessed 7 October 2026]. He soon noticed that he was recovering faster and not feeling all the aches and pains of working out. Chris told Rich Roll that not only was he recovering faster but also was experiencing fewer digestive problems and less bloating after the switch to a plant-based diet.²Rich Roll. 2023. Vegan Diet TRANSFORMS NBA Performance & Success Secrets | Chris Paul x Rich Roll Podcast. Youtube. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w45ZG6fmGTk [Accessed 7 October 2026]. And the stats support Chris Paul’s decision to go vegan: “After averaging career lows in his last season with the Houston Rockets in 2018-2019, Paul switched to a plant-based diet and things have looked way different. Since progressing to a more sustainable diet, the Suns’ 16-year vet has been on an absolute tear,” according to one website.³Songco, D. 2021. Chris Paul’s massive transformation after vegan diet will surprise you. Clutch Points. Available: https://clutchpoints.com/nba/phoenix-suns/suns-news-chris-pauls-massive-vegan-transformation-will-surprise-you [Accessed 7 October 2026].

“When I first went plant-based, it was for performance purposes but once I saw how my body changed and how I felt—it was for life.”⁴Kanowsky, H. 2020. Athlete Chris Paul Talks About His Plant-Based Diet and What He Eats in a Day. One Green Planet. Available: https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/athlete-chris-paul-talks-about-his-plant-based-diet-and-what-he-eats-in-a-day/ [Accessed 7 October 2026].