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In keeping with Shams Charania of ESPN, Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul will retire on the finish of the 2025-26 season, his twenty first season within the league.
He is without doubt one of the biggest level guards in NBA historical past.
Paul stated on his social media submit, expressing gratitude for what he has given to the sport of basketball, “What a journey…Nonetheless a lot left…GRATEFUL for this final one!!”
Again in NC!!! What a journey…Nonetheless a lot left…GRATEFUL for this final one!! 🤞🏾 pic.twitter.com/1ZaJSqsWRD
— Chris Paul (@CP3) November 22, 2025
Listed below are the highest 5 moments which have outlined Paul’s NBA profession.
1. Paul’s Longevity
All through his 21-year profession, Paul had a profession crammed with many memorable moments. He additionally helped mentor younger and up-and-coming stars within the NBA for the seven groups he performed for, reminiscent of Stephen Curry, Stephon Citadel, and Shai Gligeous-Alexander.
He additionally appeared and began in 149 profession playoff video games for 5 completely different groups, lately with the Phoenix Suns in 2023.
Although he missed some video games attributable to accidents throughout his profession, Paul discovered a solution to lengthen his profession to 21 seasons with the assistance of a vegan weight-reduction plan in 2019. Being out there and main his crew for therefore lengthy is what he’ll be remembered for.
2. Phoenix Suns’ 2021 NBA Finals Run
The closest Paul has come to profitable an NBA championship ring got here in 2020-21 with the Phoenix Suns, who had a younger core of Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, and Cam Johnson.
In that offseason, the Suns acquired Paul and Abdel Nader in a commerce with the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, the place he spent a season mentoring future MVP Shai Gligeous-Alexander.
Thanks partly to Paul’s contributions and management, Phoenix ended a playoff drought of 11 consecutive years.
that point Chris Paul shot 14/14 in a sport 6 pic.twitter.com/S4t2myuwwg
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) November 22, 2025
He made his second look within the Western Convention Finals towards the Los Angeles Clippers, the crew he performed for, for six seasons. the Wake Forest product advert an all-time efficiency in Recreation 6 of the Western Convention Finals towards his former crew, tying his playoff profession excessive of 41 factors because the Phoenix Suns superior to the NBA Finals for the primary time since 1993.
The Suns misplaced the collection in six video games to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks after blowing a 2-0 lead. Regardless of the heartbreaking ending, Phoenix witnessed an surprising run to the NBA Finals and it introduced the town collectively.
In 2021-22, Paul helped the Suns win a franchise document 64 video games and earn the No. 1 seed within the Western Convention. Within the first spherical series-clinching sport towards the New Orleans Pelicans, he went 14-for-14 from the sector and scored 33 factors. The Suns, nonetheless had been eradicated within the Western Convention Semifinals by Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks in seven video games.
As memorable as a few of these moments had been in 2021 and 2022, Phoenix’s collapse sport 7 may also be one of many moments followers bear in mind about Paul’s profession.
3. Lob Metropolis Clippers Period With Blake Griffin
To at the present time, followers alway surprise what if the late David Stern didn’t veto the commerce in 2011 the place Paul would play on the Los Angeles Lakers alongside the late Kobe Bryant.
As a substitute, Paul ended up with the opposite crew in Los Angeles, the Clippers. He paired up with Blake Griffin, the primary general decide within the 2009 NBA Draft, and helped make the crew legit championship contenders.
Lob metropolis was actually a sight to see 🔥🔥pic.twitter.com/8x025LgreZ
— Hoops (@Hoopss) November 23, 2025
The Lob Metropolis period lasted for six seasons, because the Clippers performed an entertaining model of ball and superior to the playoffs yearly. The Lob Metropolis period got here to an finish when Paul was traded to the Houston Rockets to pair up with James Harden in the summertime of 2017. With Paul main the way in which, it was a memorable time for Clippers followers.
4. Paul’s Spectacular Resume
Paul’s uncooked numbers are spectacular and memorable. He’s recorded 23,032 factors, 12,532 assists, the second-most all-time, solely trailing Corridor of Famer John Stockton, and 6,000 rebounds in his profession.
His in depth resume consists of 12 appearances within the NBA All-Star Recreation, 11 all-NBA First, Second, or Third crew honors and 9 NBA All-Defensive choices. Paul additionally led the NBA in assists 5 instances and steals six instances, and is a two-time Olympic Gold medalist (2008 and 2012).
He was named the NBA All-Star Most Worthwhile Participant in 2013 after main the Western Convention to a win. He had a memorable double-double of 20 factors, 16 assists, and 4 rebounds.
Paul turned the primary participant in NBA Historical past to document 20,000 factors and 10,000 assists and was named to the league’s seventy fifth anniversary crew in 2021.
His greatness can’t be denied.
5. Paul’s Circus Shot vs The Memphis Grizzlies
In Recreation 2 of the 2013 NBA Playoff first-round collection between the Clippers and the Memphis Grizzlies, Paul drilled a circus shot handy the Clippers the win and 2-0 collection lead.
Followers in attendance witnessed his clutch second inside Staples Middle (now Crypto.com Area) and it signified optimism to deliver house a championship for the Clippers trustworthy.
After that second, the Grizzlies received the subsequent 4 video games of the best-of-7 first-round collection.
Though he got here up wanting a NBA title, Paul was a particular participant within the NBA for a very long time and has lots to be happy with. His subsequent vacation spot would be the Naismith Corridor of Fame.
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