75 Stories | Chris Paul
Look back at Chris Paul's career with this feature from his NBA 75 selection.
He earned a nickname so heavenly and authoritative that it suggested he invented the position he played. Not so. Chris Paul just defined it better than most in NBA history and certainly in his era.
So, yes. “Point God” it was for a point guard who lasted just under 21 years in a big man’s league despite standing a generously-listed 6 feet tall, a point guard who constantly knew what to do with a basketball in his hands and when to do it.
The smarts and the skill he supplied proved to be an irresistible combination for CP3. It also enabled him to overcome his height precisely when taller and stronger players began a takeover of what was once a small man’s position. Paul went counter to that trend and consistently showed why he was a generational talent.
These were his gifts:
Scoring? Well, he mastered the lost art of the mid-range shot, allowing him to pull up for clean 18-footers that either juiced scoring runs for his team or served as daggers for the opposition. Also, he shot nearly 90% from the free throw line, further proof of his fundamentals.
Handles? He had those as well, and he dribbled himself out of trouble and into positive situations constantly. It was when his height was advantageous; few players could stoop and strip Paul.
Passing? He had few peers. His court vision was sharp and he knew the tendencies of his teammates. Paul had a knack for throwing the right kind of pass to the right kind of player to raise the percentages of getting a bucket.
Defense? This is where he stood surprisingly tall. All the fears of small players being repeatedly victimized defensively died with Paul. He knew how to disrupt passing lanes and get sneaky with steals.
Leadership? Perhaps his finest contribution. Paul was rarely fooled by the game situation or the urgency. His teammates followed his lead. He was just smarter than most.
All of the above is why he made 11 All-NBA teams and nine All-Defensive teams, led the league in assists five times (second all-time in total number) and in steals six times (also second all-time in total number).
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement today regarding Chris Paul’s retirement:
“After 21 remarkable seasons, Chris Paul retires as one of the greatest point guards in NBA history and a true steward of our sport. From the moment he entered the league, Chris…
— NBA (@NBA) February 13, 2026
He was the triggerman for Lob City during his six years with the LA Clippers, giving that franchise its most entertaining and productive stretch. And he reached the NBA Finals for his first and only time with the Phoenix Suns, still generating the goods deep into his 30s. Those were his high points.
But first, he was asked to rescue a New Orleans franchise in transition when he was drafted fourth overall in 2005. The Hornets had previously relocated from Charlotte, only to be socked by Hurricane Katrina and forced into a nomadic existence, playing most home games in Oklahoma City. Paul was a soothing force, coming one vote shy of being a unanimous Rookie of the Year selection and showing steady improvement during his first few seasons.
A reputation for mature and clutch play soon took root and Paul became an All-Star fixture; he eventually made 12 such honors (with an All-Star MVP win in 2013) and created a career that makes him a lock to be recognized by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
In retrospect, Paul’s time in the NBA can be summarized by these moments and developments:
– The non-trade to the Lakers. Because of franchise strife, the league made the unprecedented decision to assume temporary control of the Hornets. Then-commissioner David Stern nixed a proposed 2011 deal that would’ve shipped Paul to LA and teamed him with Kobe Bryant, denying Paul his first chance to be aligned with an icon.
– Lob City. Paul made it to LA anyway, only with the Clippers, and the change proved beneficial for the team and player. This was Paul’s glory period; his fanciful passes to Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan created highlights right when digital videos boomed on social media channels.
– Untimely injuries. Paul was spooked three times by post-season ailments, robbing him of chances to secure a championship. A hamstring injury benched him for two games in the second round against Houston in 2015. The Clippers blew a 3-1 lead and lost the series. A broken hand punished him and the Clips the following spring in the first round. Then, as a member of the Rockets and teamed with James Harden, came the crusher: A pulled hamstring with his team up 3-2 on the Warriors in the conference finals proved costly.
– The 2021 Finals loss. Everything fell in place for Paul in his first season with the Suns. He was the missing piece, a veteran point guard who allowed Devin Booker to shift to a more natural off-guard position, and the Suns rumbled, winning 51 times in the 72-game shortened season. They beat LeBron James and the defending champion Lakers in the playoffs and went up 2-0 in the Finals against the Bucks.
But Paul, then 35, didn’t sparkle throughout that series, the Bucks won in six, and his best and last chance for a title vanished. Paul therefore joins a notorious group of great players without a championship, with John Stockton, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing among others. The irony is those five, if placed on a team, would perhaps win multiple titles.
For a player who announced his retirement Friday, a championship is one of the very few rewards that escaped him for two decades of basketball.
Paul leaves as one of three players with 20,000 points, 10,000 assists and 2,000 steals, joining LeBron and Russell Westbrook. Among point guards all-time, he’s second in steals and assists, fourth in points, fifth in rebounds. He had greatness and longevity. Mostly, he was easily a top-10 player in his generation, regardless of position.
He also contributed to the game in other ways off the court, mainly through leadership positions in the player’s union and lending his voice to amplify issues that impacted the game and his community.
He leaves a sizable impression and a legacy that’ll be hard for present or future point guards to duplicate.
As he said in his social media post announcing his retirement:
“Playing basketball for a living has been an unbelievable blessing that also came with lots of responsibility. I embraced it all. The good and the bad. It feels good knowing I treated the game with the utmost respect since the day my dad introduced me to it … the game always gave me a reason to show up!!! And the true leaders and fighters know that that right there — showing up — is half the battle.”
* * *
Shaun Powell has covered the NBA since 1985. You can e-mail him at spowell@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.
