By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
@GettyImages.
Chris Paul announced his retirement on Friday in a social media post after the 40-year-old playmaker was released by the Toronto Raptors.
In a post on Instagram, Paul wrote in part: “This is it! After over 21 years I’m stepping away from basketball. As I write this, it’s hard to really know what to feel, but for once — most people would be surprised — I don’t have the answer lol!
But, mostly I’m filled with so much joy and gratitude! While this chapter of being an “NBA player” is done, the game of basketball will forever be engrained in the DNA of my life.”
“I’ve been in the NBA for more than half of my life, spanning three decades. It’s crazy even saying that.”
Paul, who was nicknamed the ‘Point of God’, averaged 16.8 points, 9.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds and two steals a game during a 1,370-game career that started at the New Orleans Hornets in 2005 and effectively ended after a second spell at the Los Angeles Clippers.
He also featured for the Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, the Phoenix Suns and the Golden State Warriors, but never played on an NBA championship-winning team.
He came closest to a gold ring in 2021, when Phoenix reached the NBA finals, only to lose to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Paul, who retires second in NBA history for both assists (12,552) and steals (2,728), had not played since 1 December, with the Clippers trading him to Toronto earlier this month.