Only a day after signing his letter of intent, Chris Paul found out that his grandfather was tragically murdered. He was beaten and robbed by a group of teens as he unloaded groceries from his car in his driveway. Five teenagers tied Jones’ hands behind his back, taped his mouth, and beat him around the head and face. His grandfather, Nathanial Jones, was discovered by Paul’s father after he died from cardiac arrest. He was 61. Over 2,000 people honored the memories of Jones at his funeral four days later. The suspects were caught and put in prison.

The next day, fueled by the suggestion of an aunt, an emotionally devastated Paul scored 61 points in honor of his grandfather, one point for every year his grandfather lived. He did it during West Forsyth’s 2002-2003 season opener, the high school team Paul played for.

Despite Paul’s previous career high being 39 points, by halftime, he had racked up 32 points in 16 minutes. When Paul reached the 61-point mark late in the 4th quarter, he purposely air-balled a free throw, then took himself out of the game to hug his family on the sidelines, even though the state high school scoring record of 66 points was well within reach. Chris Paul went on to become one of the best NBA players in the league today. His grandfather had such a profound impact on his life. Without him, he may of never of been the player he is today.

Watch this video that really touches the heart and shows the importance of family. Paul’s story sparks an inspiring tale and really characterizes that you can do whatever you want as long as you believe in your abilities.