The first player to score 20,000 points and 10,000 assists simultaneously in his NBA career.
‘Point God’ Chris Paul announces retirement, bids farewell to NBA court after 21 years
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‘Point God’ Chris Paul is leaving the National Basketball Association (NBA) court, where he played for 21 years.
Chris Paul officially announced his retirement through his social media post on the 14th (Korean time).
“This moment has finally arrived,” Paul said. “I am retiring from basketball after 21 years.” He also said, “Now is the time to step up for others in a different way.”
Chris Paul entered the NBA stage wearing a New Orleans Hornets uniform as the 4th overall pick in the 2005 rookie draft. Afterwards, while playing for the Los Angeles (LA) Clippers, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Washington Wizards, Golden State Warriors, and San Antonio Spurs, he was called ‘Point God’ and was reborn as the best point guard representing the league for 21 years.
In addition to being the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2006, Paul was selected as an NBA All-Star 12 times and was selected as the All-Star MVP in 2013. He also won gold medals as a member of the U.S. national team at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics.
Paul, who is also likely to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, returned after eight years to the LA Clippers, where he enjoyed his prime from 2011 to 2017, in the 2025-2026 season.
However, after being embroiled in rumors of a disagreement with coach Teran Lu, he was completely excluded from the team after the away game against the Miami Heat on December 2 last year, and the Miami game ended up being Paul’s last game as a player.
Paul was traded to the Toronto Raptors on the 5th ahead of the transfer market closing, but eventually announced his retirement after being released from Toronto that day.
Paul’s retirement was planned.
In November of last year, Paul uploaded a short video of game scenes from his youth on his SNS account and hinted at his retirement by writing, “It’s been an incredible journey. There’s still a lot of work left to do. I’m really grateful that I can enjoy the last time.”
Based on this, ESPN reported that “Paul will retire after completing his 21st season.”
Paul played in 1,370 regular league games, scoring 23,058 points, 6,006 rebounds, and 12,552 assists. He averaged 16.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 9.2 assists per game.
Additionally, Chris Paul is the first player to simultaneously score 20,000 points and 10,000 assists in his NBA career.
However, Paul ended his career without ever being able to wear an NBA championship ring.
Koo Seong-hwan, Global Economics Reporter koo9koo@g-enews.com
date: 2026-02-14 03:59:00
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