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Chris Paul has made a decision about his future in basketball.
On Friday, likely future Basketball Hall of Famer Naismith announced he was stepping away from the NBA after the 40-year-old point guard was released by the Toronto Raptors.
“It’s time for me to introduce myself to others and in other ways,” Paul wrote in an Instagram post. “This last season I knew I couldn’t do it unless I was home with my family.”
Paul re-signed with the Los Angeles Clippers over the summer, but the team sent him home in December. He landed in Toronto via a three-team trade last week, but never took the court for the Raptors.
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Chris Paul of the LA Clippers during the first half against the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center on November 22, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (David Jensen/Getty Images)
Paul walks away from professional basketball with more than 20,000 points and 10,000 assists, the first player in NBA history to reach those totals. He was named to 12 All-Star teams and earned All-NBA honors 11 times in his storied career.
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The North Carolina native is also a two-time Olympic gold medalist, helping Team USA to glory in 2008 in Beijing and 2012 in London.
Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers walks off the court during the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Intuit Dome on November 29, 2025, in Inglewood, California. (Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
Paul’s first stint with the Clippers began in 2011, when he played alongside Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. The trio helped lead Los Angeles to six straight playoff appearances. He returned to the franchise for what was widely viewed as his final NBA season, a full-circle moment that could have capped his career.
Paul appeared in just 16 games in his second stint with the Clippers and averaged 2.9 points and 3.3 assists per game. He played in all 82 games during his lone season with the San Antonio Spurs in 2024-25.
Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) celebrates a basket in the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center in Minneapolis on March 8, 2017. (Brad Rempel/USA Today Sports)
Paul made his NBA debut with the New Orleans Hornets, which were later renamed the Pelicans. Aside from his time with the Clippers and Spurs, Paul also played for the Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors.
