Chris Paul Announces Retirement from NBA

Chris Paul has made a significant decision regarding his basketball journey. On Friday, the future Hall of Famer revealed his retirement from the NBA after being waived by the Toronto Raptors, marking the end of an era for the 40-year-old guard.

“It’s time for me to show up for others or in some other way,” Paul expressed in an Instagram post. He reflected on the past season, saying, “I knew I couldn’t do it this last season without being home with my family.”

Though he had re-signed with the Los Angeles Clippers during the summer, Paul was sent home in December. He was part of a three-team trade that landed him in Toronto, yet he never got to play a game for the Raptors.

Throughout his illustrious career, Paul scored over 20,000 points and dished out more than 10,000 assists, making him the first player ever to reach those milestones. He earned All-Star honors 12 times and received All-NBA accolades 11 times. He also contributed to Team USA’s success, securing Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012.

Paul began his first stint with the Clippers in 2011, where he partnered with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. Together, they led Los Angeles to six consecutive playoff appearances. He returned to the franchise recently, which could be seen as a farewell to his storied NBA career.

During this last season, Paul played only 16 games with the Clippers, averaging 2.9 points and 3.3 assists per game. Comparatively, he played a full season with the San Antonio Spurs in 2024-25.

Before retiring, Paul made his NBA debut with the New Orleans Hornets, who later became the Pelicans. In addition to his time with the Clippers and the Spurs, he played for the Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, and Golden State Warriors.