After one of the most storied careers in modern basketball, Chris Paul has made a monumental choice following his release by the Toronto Raptors on Friday: he’s retiring from the sport that defined him.
The 40-year-old point guard, a 12-time NBA All-Star and one of the game’s most cerebral floor generals, took to Instagram to formally announce his decision just hours after being waived by the franchise that acquired him in a three-team trade earlier this month.
“This is it! After over 21 years I’m stepping away from basketball,” Paul wrote. “While this chapter of being an ‘NBA player’ is done, the game of basketball will forever be engrained in the DNA of my life.”
Paul’s final season had been a bittersweet one. After re-signing with the Los Angeles Clippers to chase a long-elusive championship, his role dwindled, and tensions reportedly grew between the veteran and the team’s direction before he was sidelined in December and eventually moved to Toronto.
Despite the turbulent finish, Paul retires among the sport’s all-time greats. Over 1,370 regular-season games, he averaged 16.8 points, 9.2 assists and 2.0 steals, ranking second in NBA history in both assists (12,552) and steals (2,728).
Though a championship ring eluded him, Paul’s legacy from his Rookie of the Year season in 2006 to his defining “Lob City” era in Los Angeles and leadership on national teams cements him as one of the most influential point guards of his generation.
