John Paxson working on NIL opportunities for Notre Dame athletes

John Paxson is going back to his University of Notre Dame roots.

The three-time NBA champion player and former Notre Dame standout was announced Wednesday as the newest member of the board of directors for Golden Minds, the mental health platform for the name, image and likeness collective Golden Touch.

Golden Minds was launched in 2022 in tandem with Golden Touch to support the mental health challenges college athletes tend to face and provide them with NIL opportunities. Golden Minds and Golden Touch work with student-athletes at Notre Dame, as well as St. Mary’s College and Holy Cross College—South Bend’s tri-campus community.

“The student-athletes that Golden Touch and Golden Minds are looking to help out are not just dealing with the stresses of being a student-athlete, but of being young people growing up in an increasingly complex world,” said Paxson, a 1983 Notre Dame grad. “And as the son of a mother who dealt with depression her entire life, I know firsthand how something like that can affect everyone connected to that person and beyond.”

Paxson’s appointment was announced by Golden Touch founder Karen Phelps, whose father, Digger Phelps, coached Paxson at Notre Dame. Paxson will also lead a fundraising drive for the collective, the group said.

Paxson, 63, played 11 NBA seasons with Chicago and San Antonio, helping the Bulls win NBA titles in 1991, 1992 and 1993.

He was general manager of the Bulls from 2003 to 2009 and vice president of basketball operations from 2009 to 2020. He now serves as a senior adviser.

Paxson attended Le Mans Academy Military Boarding School in La Porte, Indiana.