Chris Paul to Retire After 21-Year NBA Career

Los Angeles Clippers veteran point guard Chris Paul announced on Saturday that he will retire at the end of the current NBA season, capping a 21-year career marked by individual excellence but no championship ring.

Paul, who turns 41 in May, shared the news in a post on X, formerly Twitter, accompanied by a 75-second video highlighting moments from his career, starting with his selection as the fourth overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Hornets out of Wake Forest. "Back in NC!!! What a ride. Still so much left... GRATEFUL for this last one!!" he wrote, referencing his North Carolina roots ahead of the Clippers' game against the Charlotte Hornets. The announcement followed reports from league sources and came months after Paul hinted in July that the season might be his last. At the time, he told interviewer Jemele Hill, "At the most a year," emphasizing his priorities of family and life beyond basketball after two decades in the league.

Drafted into a franchise now known as the Pelicans, Paul quickly established himself as a cornerstone, earning Rookie of the Year honors in 2005-06 and leading the Hornets for six seasons. He later played for the Clippers from...