NBA veteran point guard Chris Paul, 40, is leaving the court.
Paul officially announced his retirement through his social media account on May 14. "The time has finally come. I'm stepping away from basketball after 21 years," he said. "It's time to step up for others in a different way."
Paul entered the NBA in 2005 as the fourth overall pick in the draft, joining the New Orleans Hornets. Over 21 seasons, he established himself as one of the league's premier point guards, playing for the Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Washington Wizards, Golden State Warriors, and San Antonio Spurs.
His career statistics are impressive. Paul appeared in 1,370 regular-season games, recording 23,058 points, 6,006 rebounds, and 12,552 assists—averaging 16.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 9.2 assists per game. He became the first player in NBA history to reach both 20,000 points and 10,000 assists. However, he never won an NBA championship.
The 2006 NBA Rookie of the Year was selected to 12 All-Star teams and named All-Star MVP in 2013. He also won gold medals representing Team USA at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics. His induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame is widely expected.
Paul returned to the Clippers for the 2025-2026 season, rejoining the franchise where he spent his prime years from 2011 to 2017. However, following reports of a rift with head coach Tyronn Lue, he was removed from the team's rotation after a road game against the Miami Heat on December 2. He was traded to the Toronto Raptors on May 5 ahead of the trade deadline but was waived the same day, prompting his decision to retire.