Thank you, Chris Paul.
The all-time great point guard is retiring after this 2025-26 NBA season, as he posted in a message on Instagram Saturday, Nov. 22.
Playing for the Los Angeles Clippers, Paul is in his 21st NBA season.
“What a ride. Still so much left. GRATEFUL for this last one!!” Paul wrote.
I’m grateful to have covered Paul during his three seasons with the Phoenix Suns.
He called me out for not knowing the NBA rule book. We had engaging talks about the game that ended with me knowing more than I did beforehand.
Paul used to say, ‘D, you’re making this too complicated. It’s a simple game. Two men on the ball, someone is open.”
Simple to a true savant with a Ph.D. in how to play point guard and basketball, but Paul never made me feel as if I was clueless when I was, and still am, more times than not.
It’s always an honor and privilege to witness greatness. Paul has been the epitome of that throughout his basketball career.
He’s a 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, nine-time NBA All-Defensive selection, two-time Olympic gold medalist and future first ballot Hall of Famer.
Paul is second all-time in assists and steals behind Hall of Famer John Stockton. If he’s able to stay healthy for most of his remaining career, Paul is closer to catching Stockton in both categories.
Simply put, Paul is one of the greatest floor generals and leaders to ever play sports.
Playing for seven different NBA teams, Paul has made an impact at every stop, but his run in Phoenix will forever be remembered and perhaps the highest highlight of his career.
The Suns traded Kelly Oubre, Ricky Rubio, Ty Jerome, Jalen Lecque and a 2022 first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Abdel Nader and Paul before the NBA shortened 72-game 2020-21 season.
Reuniting with Monty Williams, Paul proved to be the catalyst in sparking Phoenix’s run to the 2021 NBA Finals. Williams had previously coached Paul in New Orleans.
The arrival of Paul was a continuation of Devin Booker sharing the floor with a true point guard. Rubio proved to be the perfect setup for Booker to take his game to another level with Paul.
They proved to be the NBA’s best backcourt tandem surrounded by perfect complement of talent starting with Mikal Bridges, Deandre Ayton, Jae Crowder and Cam Johnson.
Paul was connected to all of them and everyone else on the team. He hounded Ayton to play to his potential, vibed with Crowder and served as a mentor to Bridges and Johnson.
The Suns pushed past the defending 2021 NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and Paul’s old team, the Clippers, to reach the finals for the first time since 1993.
Paul scored 41 points in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals to close out the Clippers in Los Angeles.
He was so dominant, Patrick Beverley resorted to pushing him in the back out of frustration and getting ejected. As the game was winding down late in the fourth, Paul exchanged that scowl with an emotional embrace with coach Monty Williams, hitting his coach on his back.
That special moment gave us all a better understanding of Paul’s tireless journey to reach his first finals that should’ve ended with a championship.
The Suns blew a 2-0 series lead to the Milwaukee Bucks, but they came back even better, winning a franchise-best 64 wins and had the NBA’s best record in 2021-22 with Booker and Paul leading the way.
The Suns once again came up short, falling to the Dallas Mavericks in seven. Before that conference semifinals series, Paul pulled off another epic closer performance, scoring 33 points to become the first player in NBA playoff history to make 14 field goals without a miss in a Game 6 victory in New Orleans.
Phoenix made one last playoff push with Paul after trading Bridges, Crowder, Johnson and four first-round picks to Brooklyn for Kevin Durant before the 2023 trade deadline under new team owner Mat Ishbia.
The Suns once again reached the conference semifinals, but the eventual NBA champion Nuggets took them out in six. Paul ended his time in Phoenix injured.
The Suns traded Paul after the 2022-23 season in landing Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards.
Taking Paul’s age and what Phoenix was due to pay him into account, the trade seemed to make sense at the time. Hindsight is 20/20, but one must wonder what might have been had the Suns kept Paul, Ayton and Williams along with Booker and Durant for one more year.
Paul has since played for the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and reunited with the Clippers, but he left his mark on Phoenix and is still revered by Suns fans.
Thanks again, Chris. Appreciate you.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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