When Chris Paul signed a one-year deal to return to the Clippers, the franchise with which he is most closely associated, it seemed to indicate that this would be the 40-year-old future Hall of Famer’s final season.
That notion became official Saturday morning. As Los Angeles prepares to face the Hornets, the home state franchise for Paul, a Winston-Salem, N.C. native, Paul shared a video to social media showing him in the many jerseys he’s donned throughout his career. The video takes Paul from childhood through high school and his college days at Wake Forest, to the then-New Orleans Hornets, and finally the Clippers—with many others in between. It ends with the phrase “never delay gratitude.”
Paul calls the game in Charlotte “this last one,” making clear that this will be his final season.
Back in NC!!! What a ride…Still so much left…GRATEFUL for this last one!! 🤞🏾 pic.twitter.com/1ZaJSqsWRD
— Chris Paul (@CP3) November 22, 2025
ESPN’s Shams Charania followed up the video by confirming Paul’s coming retirement.
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Chris Paul, the No. 4 pick out of Wake Forest in the 2005 NBA draft, spent the first five-plus years of his career in New Orleans, becoming one of the NBA’s elite point guards. After the NBA, which owned the Hornets at the time, vetoed a Paul trade to the Lakers, he wound up with L.A.’s other franchise, the Clippers, in 2011, where he played until 2017.
Paul bounced around the Western Conference through the back half of his career, playing for the Rockets (2017 to ‘19), Thunder (‘19 to 2020), Suns (‘20 to ‘23), Warriors (‘23 to ‘24) and Spurs (‘24 to ‘25) before settling back with the Clippers this season.
Barring a surprising run by L.A., which is currently 4–11, Paul will end his career without a title. He made one NBA Finals appearance with the Suns in 2021, in which Phoenix fell to the Bucks in six games.
Paul took the NBA by storm from his first season in the league, capturing the Rookie of the Year award in 2006. Two years later, he made his first of 12 All-Star Games, making the game each year from ‘08 to 2016 and again from 2020 to ‘22. He also made 11 total All-NBA teams, including four first-team selections, five second-team nods and a pair of third-team selections.
Paul was a seven time All-Defensive first-team player, with two second-team nods. He led the NBA in assists five times, first in 2008 and most recently in 2022. He was also the six-time NBA steals leader, again doing in first in ‘08, and later four consecutive years from 2011 to ‘14.
The future Hall of Famer was selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, which was honored at the All-Star Game in 2021. He was one of 11 active players to receive the honor at the time.
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