Chris Paul Ends 21-Year NBA Career After Waiver by Raptors
Slug: chris-paul-retires-after-21-nba-seasons
Veteran point guard Chris Paul announced his retirement on Friday, closing a 21-season NBA run hours after being waived by the Toronto Raptors.
“This is it!” Paul wrote on Instagram, adding that he is “stepping away from basketball” after spending more than half of his life in the league.
Drafted fourth overall out of Wake Forest in 2005, the North Carolina native appeared in 1,370 regular-season games and 149 postseason contests for seven franchises: the Hornets, Clippers, Rockets, Thunder, Suns, Warriors, and Spurs, before returning to the Clippers last summer. He was traded to Toronto at last week’s trade deadline and released before announcing his decision.
Decorated Career
Paul leaves the game as a 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, 2006 Rookie of the Year, 2013 All-Star Game MVP, five-time assists leader, and six-time steals leader. He also earned nine All-Defensive team nods, including seven first-team honors, and was named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
Although he never captured an NBA championship, the guard ranks second all-time in both assists and steals. He served as National Basketball Players Association president from 2013 to 2021.
Team Highlights
Paul opened his career with six seasons in New Orleans before a 2011 trade to the Los Angeles Clippers. His first five years in Los Angeles produced five All-Star appearances, five All-Defensive First Team honors, and top-seven finishes in MVP voting each season. Later stints included Houston, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Golden State, and San Antonio.
Career Averages
Across 33.5 minutes per game, Paul averaged 16.8 points, 9.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.0 steals while shooting .469 from the field, .370 from three-point range, and .870 at the free-throw line.
The 38-year-old ends his statement by noting “the game of basketball will forever be ingrained in the DNA of my life,” emphasizing that he approached the sport “with the utmost respect” since first picking up a ball with his father.
Source: HoopsRumors
