Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul will retire after this NBA season, according to reports.
Paul, 40, is in his 21st NBA season after being drafted out of Wake Forest by the then-New Orleans Hornets with the fourth overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. He was named the 2005-06 NBA Rookie of the Year and has earned 12 All-Star selections in his career for the Hornets, Clippers, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs.
“Back in NC!!! What a ride…Still so much left…GRATEFUL for this last one!!,” Paul wrote in a post to X on Saturday, seemingly confirming his retirement after this season. His retirement was also reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Paul has earned nine All-Defensive Team selections in his career, and has led the NBA in steals six times and led the league in assists five times. He ranks second in NBA history in both steals and assists, both behind Utah Jazz legend John Stockton.
This season, Paul is averaging 2.5 points, 3.8 assists and 0.8 steals in 14.8 minutes per game for the Clippers. For his career, however, Paul averages 16.9 points, 9.2 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals in 33.5 minutes across 1,366 games played.
The news of Paul’s pending retirement comes months after he first hinted that this season was likely his last in the NBA.
“At the most a year,” Paul said in July when asked by Jemele Hill how much longer he planned to play in the NBA. “I just finished my 20th NBA season, which is a blessing in itself.
“My wife and my kids are in LA. … I love to play basketball, but I love my kids and my family more. That is going to weigh a huge part on my decision on what happens next year,” he added.
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