Chris Paul Announces He'll Retire At The End Of The Season

After tipping off his 21st season in the NBA, Chris Paul is ready to hang up his sneakers. The future Hall of Famer has announced that the 2025-26 season will be his last, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Paul revealed the news in a short vignette he posted to his Instagram account, which starts with photos of him maturing from a young kid with a professional basketball dream to the seasoned vet he is now. It quickly covered his draft day, fresh out of Wake Forest, to a montage of his buzzer beaters, crossovers, and some of the best moments from the Lob City. Spliced in are quick shots of him suited up for all the teams he’s played for, as Jay-Z’s “I Did It My Way” plays in the background. 

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The clip ends with the words “Never delay gratitude,” and he captions the post, “What a ride…Still so much left…GRATEFUL for this last one!! 🤞🏾” The 41-year-old closes his chapter after a storied career that began with a dominant stint at Wake Forest, which earned him the ACC Rookie of the Year award. After two years, he was the New Orleans Hornets’ fourth overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft, where he began cementing himself as one of the greatest point guards of all time, winning the Rookie of the Year award. His next stop was with the Los Angeles Clippers from 2011-2017 before bouncing around to the Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, and is currently back in LA. Though he never got that coveted ring, he did rack up 12 NBA All-Star appearances, was named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, and even made one NBA Finals appearance with the Houston Rockets.  NBA greats have begun congratulating Paul on a successful career, including fellow veteran LeBron James, who posted a picture of Paul biting his gold medal during an Olympic ceremony with the caption, “POINT GOD!” Been a helluva ride.” See how everyone else is reacting to Chris Paul’s retirement announcement below.

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