Chris Paul of the Oklahoma City Thunder is working with Roadside Entertainment to bring viewers a new docu-series covering the recruiting process at Historically Black College Universities.
According to Deadline, the series will take place during the 2020-2021 basketball season. At this moment, the participating schools have yet to be determined.
“HBCUs historically have been at a competitive disadvantage with their basketball programs facing many challenges with funding, recruitment, misperceptions, and exposure,” Paul told Deadline in a statement. “With the current racial awakening in our country prompting young athletes to look at where they play, it’s now more important than ever to shine a light on HBCUs and showcase their value in sports and society.”⠀⠀⠀
Though Paul plans to return to basketball when the current season resumes, he insists that he’ll still be involved with production for the series because the topic of the series hits close to home, growing up in Winston-Salem, NC.
The overall goal of the series, according to the outlet, is to provide an inside look at the obstacles HBCUs face when competing with other schools while scouting for top basketball recruits.
Despite living near an HBCU, Paul received a scholarship to attend Wake Forest in the same city.
“There was an HBCU right in my back yard [Winston-Salem State University],” he stated. “For some reason, I just didn’t really think of it. … Today, kids’ mindsets have changed. We hope that this show will keep that conversation going.”
Along with Roadside Entertainment’s co-founders Ron Yassen and John Hirsch, Paul’s Ohh Dip!! Productions will be taking on the task of producing the series. The companies previously collaborated on the documentary ‘Crossroads,’ which was nominated for an Emmy.
