Paul is perhaps the greatest all-around player in USC basketball history after having a brilliant prep career at Aviation HS in the South Bay. He was a rare local player to turn down John Wooden in the 1960s. He was the California Mr. Basketball in 1968. USC went 24-2 his junior year and he was team captain as a senior in averaging 20 points per game. He was two-time All-Pac-8 and a college All-American. He was the first round NBA draft pick of the Boston Celtics in 1972 and part of their 1974 NBA Championship team.

He had a 12-year professional career where he was a NBA all-star six times. After retiring he went into college and professional coaching with a successful college stint at Pepperdine and professional years in Phoenix and Seattle. He also did television broadcasting. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019 after previously being inducted into the College Basketball and USC Athletic Halls of Fame. He passed away on January 2, 2021.