Chris Paul announces his retirement after a brilliant NBA career
The legendary Los Angeles Clippers point guard, Chris Paul, will end his outstanding career in the NBA at the end of the current season, marking his twenty-first year in the league.
Paul, 40 years old, has been a basketball icon, accumulating an impressive track record throughout his career.
- 12-time All-Star
- 11-time All-NBA Team member
- 9-time All-Defensive Team member
- Rookie of the Year in 2006
- Member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team
The announcement of Paul’s retirement was expected by many, and the player himself hinted at it on his social media: “What a journey… There’s still a lot left… THANK YOU for this last one!”.
Chris Paul’s social media post
The “God of Basketball”, as he is known, is the active NBA leader in assists and steals, and ranks second all-time in both categories, only behind John Stockton.
Throughout his career, he has led the league in assists per game on five occasions and in steals for six seasons, averaging double digits in assists in seven seasons.
Paul was selected fourth overall in the 2005 draft by the New Orleans Hornets, and until Saturday, averaged 16.9 points and 9.2 assists per game in his career.
Alongside LeBron James, they are the only players in NBA history to reach 20,000 points and 10,000 assists.
After spending six years with the Hornets, a failed trade to the Los Angeles Lakers finally took him to the Clippers, where he formed an iconic duo with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, starting the “Lob City” era, a period of great success for the franchise.
After six seasons with the Clippers, Paul was traded to the Houston Rockets, where he joined James Harden. Although the Rockets had success in the regular season, they failed to advance in the playoffs, being eliminated by the Golden State Warriors in consecutive seasons.
Subsequently, Paul was traded to Oklahoma City, where he played for a season and mentored the young Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, leading the team to the playoffs.
His time in Oklahoma City was followed by three seasons with the Phoenix Suns, highlighting his only appearance in the NBA Finals in 2021, where they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks.
After that, Paul played a season with the Golden State Warriors and last season with the San Antonio Spurs, providing his experience to a rebuilding team led by Victor Wembanyama.
In the summer, Paul returned to the Clippers, where he has participated in 11 games.
