Future Hall of Famer Chris Paul has officially dropped the curtain on his NBA career. Paul took to Instagram to announce his retirement on Friday, and a host of NBA stars, both past and present, congratulated him on a phenomenal career.
LeBron James: “Helluva career champ! Congratulations.”
Dwyane Wade: “An honor to compete against you, my brother. A Legendary Career 🫡.”
Klay Thompson: “Point god! It was a pleasure being your teammate. Congrats on a legendary run, my man!”
Trae Young: “Set the Blueprint 🫡 Legend!”
Deron Williams: “🙌🏽 Nothing left for you to prove, brotha!!!! Congrats on a legendary career!!!”
Bradley Beal: “Happy for you and the fam! Congrats on a great career, bro! LEGEND.”
Donovan Mitchell: “Point God🤞🏾🫡”
Tyrese Maxey: “LOVE OG!! Respect.”
Kyle Lowry: “Amazing career, my brother!! Love brother!!”
Muggsy Bogues: “One hell of a ride, young fella- You did it your way🎩👊🏾.”
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It was indeed one hell of a ride. The New Orleans Hornets had selected Paul with the fourth pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, and he’d go on to have a 21-year career. He won Rookie of the Year out of the gate and would end up making 12 All-Star, 11 All-NBA, and nine All-Defensive teams. Paul also has five assists titles to his name and ranks second all-time in assists with 12,552.
To go with the Hornets, Paul played for the Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, and San Antonio Spurs. Whichever team he went to would tend to see its win total jump.
The Hornets/New Orleans Pelicans, Clippers, Rockets, and Suns all set franchise records for wins in a single season when Paul was on the team. The ultimate prize would still elude him, though.
Paul has walked away from the game having never won an NBA championship. The closest he ever got to hoisting that Larry O’Brien Trophy was when the Suns reached the 2021 NBA Finals. They even took a 2-0 lead over the Milwaukee Bucks, but then lost in six games.
While Paul didn’t win that championship he so desperately desired, it looked like he was at least going to get a nice farewell tour. The 40-year-old had signed a one-year deal with the Clippers last offseason and then announced in November 2025 that the 2025-26 season would be his last.
Paul finishing his career with the team he had his best years with seemed fitting, but the relationship with the Clippers fell apart spectacularly. They sent him home from a road trip and announced on Dec. 3, 2025, that they’d be cutting ties.
The Clippers eventually traded Paul to the Toronto Raptors on Feb. 4. He was not required to report, and the Raptors waived him on Friday.
It’s not the way Paul, who finished his career with averages of 16.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 2.0 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game, would have imagined things would end, but he can be extremely proud of all that he achieved. It was an incredible run, and he’ll be a first ballot Hall of Famer.
