Chris Paul turned 40 in May, but he more than held his own this past season with the San Antonio Spurs. In fact, the decorated point guard was just one of three players on the team to take the court for all 82 regular-season games. He started all of them, too.
Paul chipped in 8.8 points and 7.4 assists per game while shooting 42.7% from the field and 37.7% from 3.
The 12-time All-Star could keep playing into his 40s if he wants.
Paul was asked about his retirement timeline in a recent interview with Jemele Hill at the American Black Film Festival in Miami.
“I think it’s fair to say that, even though you are playing at a high level, you’re in the twilight of your NBA career,” Hill said. “So how much longer do you intend to play?”
“At the most, a year,” Paul said with a slight chuckle. “I just finished my 20th season, which is a blessing in itself. I’ve been in the NBA for more than half of my life, which is a blessing. But these years you do not get back with your kids, with your family.”
Paul continued: “My granny, who watches every single game that I play every single night, those moments, I just don’t get to see her and hug her, along with all my uncles and aunts as much as I’d love to.”
Paul is an unrestricted free agent for the second summer in a row. Last time around, he signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Spurs.
He finally linked up with Hall of Fame head coach Gregg Popovich, plus he got a chance to play with the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year, 7-foot-3 center Victor Wembanyama.
A return to the playoffs felt achievable for San Antonio, which has had to watch the postseason from home since the 2019-20 season.
But Popovich suffered a mild stroke nine days into the season, giving way to interim-turned-full-time head coach Mitch Johnson. And Wembanyama missed the second half of the season after being diagnosed with a blood clot in his right shoulder.
Although oozing with potential — thanks to this year’s NBA Rookie of the Year, Stephon Castle, and deadline acquisition De’Aaron Fox — the Spurs finished 34-48 and didn’t even make the Western Conference play-in tournament.
Paul remained thankful for his opportunity to play for the organization, but he’s expected to look elsewhere in free agency as San Antonio leans into its young and talented backcourt, which now also includes No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper.
Paul told Hill at the time of the interview he doesn’t know his plan yet for next season.
He’s played for seven franchises and, even though an NBA championship has escaped his résumé, he’s collected a laundry list of accomplishments, including 11 All-NBA selections and nine NBA All-Defensive Team nods. Additionally, Paul has led the league in assists five times and steals six times.
Paul started his career with the New Orleans Hornets, whom he played for from 2005-11. He has since played for the Los Angeles Clippers (2011-17), Houston Rockets (2017-19), Oklahoma City Thunder (2019-20), Phoenix Suns (2020-23), Golden State Warriors (2023-24) and San Antonio Spurs (2024-25).
He’s averaged 17 points, 9.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 2 steals per game in his career.
Read the full article here