NBA: veteran point guard Chris Paul retires after 21 seasons

Chris Paul, NBA figure, announced Friday that he was retiring from sports at the age of 40, after 21 seasons in the North American basketball championship.

“That’s it!” After 21 years, I am retiring from basketball,” he wrote on his Instagram account moments after being released by the Toronto Raptors, where he was transferred this winter.

“As I write this, it’s hard to really know how I feel, but for once – and most people will be surprised – I don’t have the answer,” he adds, evoking joy and gratitude.

“As this chapter of being an NBA player closes, basketball will forever be ingrained in my DNA,” he continues, noting that “having played basketball for more than half of (his) life has been an incredible blessing that has come with many responsibilities.”

Named Rookie of the Year (beginner) in 2006, Olympic champion with Team USA in 2008 in Beijing then in 2012 in London, elected MVP of the All-Star Game in 2013, Chris Paul has played more than 1,370 NBA games with New Orleans, Houston, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Golden State, San Antonio and the Clippers.

But he was never able to win a championship title, only reaching the final once, in 2021, with the Phoenix Suns, who were beaten by Milwaukee (4 wins to two). And in recent years, his aura had weakened, Paul passing through four different franchises in as many seasons.

Returning to the Los Angeles Clippers at the start of the season, he played his last match on December 1, before being left out of the group. During the winter transfer period, he was sent last week to the Toronto Raptors, where he never wore the jersey.

He leaves the NBA with an average of 16.8 points per game, to which are added 9.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds.

“After 21 remarkable seasons, Chris Paul retires as one of the greatest playmakers in NBA history and a true guardian of our sport,” said NBA boss Adam Silver. “From the moment he entered the league, Chris distinguished himself by his mastery of the game, his unparalleled competitiveness and his hard work ethic,” continues the NBA commissioner.

Chris Paul also chaired the Professional Basketball Players Association from 2013 to 2021, actively participating in the negotiation of collective agreements.

“His leadership on behalf of the players was essential in negotiating these collective agreements, helping to guide the league during the pandemic (of Covid-19, Editor’s note), on the frontier of important societal issues and much more,” adds Silver.

AFP