Chris Paul’s Hall of Fame career has come to an end.
The 12-time All-Star announced on Instagram that he is stepping away from basketball after 21 NBA seasons. “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, 40, finishes his career ranked second in NBA history in both assists (12,552) and steals (2,728). He was the first player to record at least 20,000 points and 10,000 assists, earned four All-NBA First Team selections and was named to the All-Defensive First Team seven times. A two-time Olympic gold medalist, he was also part of the 2008 U.S. “Redeem Team,” which was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2025.
Paul was traded to the Toronto Raptors at this season’s deadline, though the move did not require him to report. Multiple reports indicate Toronto plans to waive him. The transaction raised speculation about whether he might pursue one final opportunity at an NBA title, the lone major accolade that eluded him.
Instead, Paul appears ready to prioritize family. He said last summer he regretted missing time with his children during his career, and he had hinted in November that this season would likely be his last.
Earlier this season, Paul reunited with the Los Angeles Clippers after signing as a free agent in July, but the team parted ways with him in December. In limited action this year, he averaged 2.9 points and 3.3 assists in 14.2 minutes per game — all career lows — and did not play in five consecutive games in mid-November.
Drafted fifth overall in 2005 by the then–New Orleans Hornets, Paul played for seven franchises over his career. He became the most accomplished player in Clippers history, leading the team to six straight winning seasons from 2011-17, including its first two Pacific Division titles and three playoff series victories.
Now, the ride is officially over. Paul is widely expected to enter the Hall of Fame individually when he becomes eligible, adding a final chapter to one of the most decorated careers in league history.
