Veteran point guard Chris Paul is approaching the end of his 19th season, and it’s long been time for him to think about life after the NBA. In a recent chat with Andscape’s Marc Spears, Paul revealed where he’s at on his retirement and explained why he’s likely to return for the 2025-26 campaign.
“I’ll be 40 in May. So, yeah man, I’m going to keep playing, I think,” Paul told Andscape recently. “At the end of every season, I evaluate everything. Evaluate playing. Evaluate how my body feels. But the more years that go by, it’s more conversations with my family, with my kids. They have a lot of say so. They got a lot of input.”
Paul was drafted fourth overall in 2005, and he’s been playing like a star ever since. As an elite floor general and playmaker, Paul is clearly dedicated to the craft, but his first loyalty is to his family. If they want Chris at home more often, then it could be all he needs to hear to walk away from the NBA for good.
“Obviously, I got a lot of homies, friends that have retired or whatnot. And they are always like, ‘Man, play as long as you possibly can. Play as long as you possibly can.’ And I appreciate that,” Paul said. “But I also, I just always want to talk to my kids about it because that’s the most important job that I have. I love to play. I definitely love my kids and my family more than I like to play. Anybody who’s in this knows the sacrifice could goes longer. I said this summer I will evaluate it and talk to my family about it.”
Over time, the love for the game can often get lost among players who end up treating basketball as a job rather than a passion. After nearly two decades, Paul has yet to reach that point. In fact, his love for the game is higher than ever as he watches his children take up the sport for themselves.
“My love for the game is even higher now,” said Paul. “My son hoops. My daughter hoops. And I think the most challenging thing now is I love giving back to teammates, the team, giving them the little nuances that I know. I want to give some of that knowledge to my kids, too. I’m just figuring it out, seeing what that looks like.”
No matter when he retires, Chris Paul is going to go down as one of the best point guards of the modern NBA. His advanced basketball IQ, coupled with his skills as a passer, made him one of the top floor generals in the league. The 12x All-Star and 11x NBA player is averaging 17.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 9.2 assists per game on 42.8% shooting.
Paul is most known for his time with the Los Angeles Clippers, but he also had success with the New Orleans Hornets, Phoenix Suns, and the Golden State Warriors. He signed with the Spurs in the summer of 2024, with the aim of helping Victor Wembanyama’s rise to power.
This season, in 76 games, Paul was a steady hand for the Spurs with averages of 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game on 42.8% shooting. The team saw a massive improvement under his leadership, but they lost momentum when Wembanyama was ruled out for the season.
With Paul back next year and Victor in full health, the Spurs should take another leap as a legitimate playoff threat. It remains to be seen how it all plays out, but Paul still has plenty of time left to try and make a championship run.
