Chris Paul has retired from the NBA after 21 seasons, closing one of the most accomplished careers ever by a point guard and ending a run defined by precision, leadership, and longevity.
Paul announced his decision through a social media post as the league gathered for All Star Weekend in Inglewood, California. He had previously said this season would be his last.
“This is it! After 21 years I’m stepping away from basketball,” Paul wrote on Instagram.
Now 40, Paul leaves the game as a 12 time All Star, an 11 time All NBA selection, and a nine time member of the All Defensive Team. He was the 2006 Rookie of the Year, a two time Olympic gold medalist, and a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
He ranks second in league history with 12,552 assists and finished his career with 2,728 steals. He also became the first player to score at least 20,000 points while recording at least 10,000 assists, a feat later matched by LeBron James and Russell Westbrook.
Paul confirmed earlier this season that the end was near, citing the toll of time away from family. “It’s time for me to show up for others and in other ways,” he wrote.
His final NBA appearance came on December 1. The L.A. Clippers and Paul parted ways earlier in the month after a short and turbulent reunion. He was later traded to the Toronto Raptors and waived without reporting to the team, a move that effectively cleared the path for retirement.
Paul’s legacy extends beyond the box score. He served as president of the National Basketball Players Association and played a central role in guiding the league through the 2020 pandemic season. He was also instrumental in advancing stronger ties between the NBA and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Over his career, he became one of only six players in league history to surpass 400 million dollars in career earnings.
In a statement, NBA commissioner Adam Silver praised Paul’s impact on and off the court.
“After 21 remarkable seasons, Chris Paul retires as one of the greatest point guards in NBA history and a true steward of our sport,” Silver said. “From the moment he entered the league, Chris distinguished himself with his savvy playmaking skills, elite competitiveness and intense work ethic.”
Paul played for New Orleans, Houston, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio, and the Clippers, spending his final four seasons with four different teams. His most defining stretch came with the Clippers from 2011 to 2017, when he led the franchise to six winning seasons, its first two Pacific Division titles, and three playoff series victories.
“While this chapter of being an NBA player is done, the game of basketball will forever be ingrained in the DNA of my life, spanning three decades,” Paul wrote.
“Playing basketball for a living has been an unbelievable blessing that also came with lots of responsibility. I embraced it all.”
Paul is already enshrined in the Hall of Fame as part of the 2008 Olympic Redeem Team, inducted with the Class of 2025. Individual induction is widely expected.
The numbers, the influence, and the control he brought to every possession cement his place among the game’s elite. Chris Paul leaves the NBA without a championship ring, but with a career that reshaped the standard for the point guard position and set a benchmark for excellence that will endure.
