Chris Paul retires from NBA: Farewell to the 'Point God'
Paul leaves the courts as the second player with the most assists and steals in history. He averaged 16.8 points and 9.2 assists. The two-time Olympic medalist retires with 12 All-Star Games.
Chris Paul at Los Angeles Clippers game (2025).
Chris Paul, second all-time in assists and steals, announced his retirement Friday. The Point God is leaving the NBA in the middle of his 21st season, in which he was without a team.
Paul had been cut in December from the Los Angeles Clippers, the franchise he had hoped to retire with at the end of this season, according to AFP. On February 5, shortly before the close of the transfer window, the Clippers included Paul in a trade with the Toronto Raptors, with whom he never made his debut.
This Friday, ESPN advanced that the Raptors were releasing Paul and shortly thereafter the player sent his farewell message from the courts. "As I write this, it's hard to really know what to feel, but for once most people would be surprised - I don't have the answer lol!" said the player, picked for 12 All-Star Games.
"Mostly I'm filled with so much joy and gratitude! While this chapter of being an 'NBA player' is done, the game of basketball will forever be engrained in the DNA of my life," he assured.
"I've been in the NBA for more than half of my life, spanning three decades. It's crazy even saying that!!" he said.
Split from Clippers
The farewell of Paul, also considered one of the best players who never won a championship, was expected since his acrimonious split from the Clippers.
The Los Angeles franchise, which was mired in a performance crisis, abruptly parted ways with one of the greatest legends in its history when the squad was on tour in Atlanta (southeast).
Gold medalist at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, Paul had led one of the best stints in Clippers history between 2011 and 2017, when they competed six straight years in the playoffs and were above their neighbors Lakers.
He went on to play for the Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Phoenix Suns, whom he helped reach the 2021 Finals, lost to the Milwaukee Bucks.
For this season, which he had already hinted would be his last, Paul opted to return to the Clippers at minimum salary.
Unlike his first stint in Los Angeles, the point guard was playing a reserve role with averages of 2.9 points and 3.3 assists for a team that was mired in second-to-last place in the Western Conference, despite being one of the franchises that strengthened the most this year.
According to ESPN, Paul had issues with coach Ty Lue and his leadership style "clashed" with the Clippers.
Paul leaves the courts as the second player with the most assists and steals in history, behind only John Stockton in both categories.
In 1,370 career games played, the point guard averaged 16.8 points and 9.2 assists.
