National Basketball Association

Paul already planning big moves?

Published Aug. 23, 2012 1:00 a.m. ET

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Chris Paul is starting to put some of his clerical skills as insurance agent Cliff Paul to work.

Paul was elected president of the NBA’s players union on Wednesday. Although the NBPA is still without an executive director, having Paul as president has been seen as a boon by many, with Paul perceived as having the intelligence and star power within the NBA to really get things done.

It also doesn’t hurt that he gets to follow up the much-maligned Derek Fisher. It appears Paul already has some big plans, according to TMZ.

The gossip outlet reports that, less than two days after being elected, Paul is already consolidating his power to take on the league on a number of issues. Among the issues Paul wants to address are heading off any talks of HGH testing, eliminating flopping fines and banning any more changes to the league’s dress code for players.

NBA sources tell TMZ that Paul was elected because players feel he has the bravery necessary to go head-to-head with the NBA, so it’ll be interesting to see what Paul can accomplish.

Paul replaces Derek Fisher and gives an organization cloaked in turmoil some much-needed star power at the top.

The vote by NBA player representatives came six months after the union fired Billy Hunter as executive director, a position that remains vacant and follows about 18 months of in-fighting and drama that occurred during the negotiations for the latest collective bargaining agreement. Hunter countered with a wrongful-termination lawsuit in May, accusing Fisher of conspiring with NBA officials during the 2011 lockout.

''It's not about me as president or the first vice president, it's about the players as a whole,'' Paul said in a conference call Wednesday night.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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