At this point in his career, it no longer comes as a huge surprise whenever San Antonio Spurs star Chris Paul makes NBA history. After all, the 39-year-old is now in the 20th season in what has been a truly iconic career.
This was the case yet again on Thursday night as the 12-time All-Star climbed the leaderboard for all-time games played. Thursday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers marked Paul's 1,344th career game, which allowed him to surpass Hall of Famer Paul Pierce for the No. 16 spot on the esteemed list.
The NBA sent Paul a message amid his historic feat.
"Congrats to @CP3 of the @spurs for moving into 16th on the all-time GAMES PLAYED list!" the league posted on X.
Congrats to @CP3 of the @spurs for moving into 16th on the all-time GAMES PLAYED list! pic.twitter.com/065Vhyu1iC
— NBA (@NBA) March 27, 2025
Up next on the list for Paul is the late, great Kobe Bryant, who is currently just two games ahead of the Spurs veteran. Paul will be able to overtake the fallen Los Angeles Lakers legend in the next week or so, which will be another historic achievement for the 11-time All-NBA point guard.
Paul's first season with San Antonio hasn't panned out as planned, though. The Spurs lost cornerstone superstar Victor Wembanyama to a season-ending blood clot issue, and they are now struggling to stay afloat in the West.
Entering Thursday's matchup against Cleveland, the Spurs are 13th in the conference and three games behind the Phoenix Suns, who currently occupy the 10th and final Play-In seed in the West.
Paul has averaged 8.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.3 steals, while also knocking down 1.7 triples in 71 games played for the Spurs this year.
Related: Chris Paul Makes NBA History on Wednesday
Related: Spurs Reveal Concerning Victor Wembanyama News After All-Star Game Debut
Related: De'Aaron Fox Sends Strong Message to Victor Wembanyama After Troubling News
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This story was originally published March 27, 2025 at 8:16 PM.