Legendary NBA player Chris Paul is planning to retire at the end of the season, making an announcement on social media ahead of Saturday’s Clippers game in his native state of North Carolina.
The video message showed nostalgic images of Paul’s past jerseys, clips from his childhood and the moment he was drafted to play for the then-New Orleans Hornets in 2005.
“Back in NC!!! What a ride…Still so much left…GRATEFUL for this last one!!,” the 12-time All-Star wrote on Instagram.
The social media announcement ended with the phrase “never delay gratitude.”
His wife, Jada Paul, also confirmed the iconic point guard’s retirement plan in an Instagram Story, congratulating him for a “helluva career.”
The 2025-2026 NBA season had been expected to be the last one for Paul after the star agreed to a one-year deal with the Clippers in July.
The 12-time All-Star had some of his best years with the Clippers from 2011-17 — five All-Star selections, five All-NBA nods and six First-Team All-Defense honors. The “Lob City” Clippers turned the once-lowly franchise around as Paul and Blake Griffin led the team to the second round three times.
Paul, who turned 40 in May, is coming off a productive 2024-25 season with the San Antonio Spurs. Paul started all 82 games for the Spurs, averaging 8.8 points and 7.4 assists for the young squad.
Over his first 20 seasons, Paul has piled up the accolades to become a guaranteed first-ballot Hall of Famer. He’s played for the New Orleans Hornets (2005-11), Clippers (2011-17), Houston Rockets (2017-19), Oklahoma City Thunder (2019-20), Phoenix Suns (2020-23), Golden State Warriors (2023-24) and Spurs (2024-25), with career averages of 17.0 points, 9.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds.
Paul, a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, has led the league in assists five times and steals six times. The only thing eluding him is a title, with his closest call coming in 2021 when the Suns lost in the NBA Finals to the Milwaukee Bucks.
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