Chris Paul career stats: Legendary PG retires as 4th all-time leading scorer at his position originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Legendary NBA point guard Chris Paul announced his retirement Friday after being waived by the Toronto Raptors.
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Paul’s time with the Raptors won’t be remembered. He was traded to Toronto before the deadline so the Los Angeles Clippers could offload him, and he never reported to the team. While many expected Paul to explore other options after being waived so he could end his career on a higher note, the 40-year-old said in a statement that he is “stepping away from basketball,” explaining that it’s “hard to really know what to feel” at the moment.
Paul intended to spend his final NBA season in Los Angeles, but he was sent home by the Clippers amid a rocky start to the season. Reports in the days and weeks that followed detailed a breakdown in the relationship between Paul and the Clippers.
Paul appeared to reference the split in his retirement announcement. “Leadership is hard and not for the weak,” Paul said. “Some will like you and many people won’t.” His leadership approach was reportedly one of the factors that led to his ouster in Los Angeles.
While the ending was forgettable, Paul retires with a laundry list of accomplishments and accolades. Here are a few of them.
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Chris Paul career stats
Here’s a complete look at Paul’s 21 NBA seasons, by the numbers:
Season
Team
Games
PPG
RPG
APG
SPG
FG%
3pt%
2005-06
Hornets
78
16.1
5.1
7.8
2.2
43.0%
28.2%
2006-07
Hornets
64
17.3
4.4
8.9
1.8
43.7%
35.0%
2007-08
Hornets
80
21.1
4.0
11.6
2.7
48.8%
36.9%
2008-09
Hornets
78
22.8
5.5
11.0
2.8
50.3%
36.4%
2009-10
Hornets
45
18.7
4.2
10.7
2.1
49.3%
40.9%
2010-11
Hornets
80
15.9
4.1
9.8
2.4
46.3%
38.8%
2011-12
Clippers
60
19.8
3.6
9.1
2.5
47.8%
37.1%
2012-13
Clippers
70
16.9
3.7
9.7
2.4
48.1%
32.8%
2013-14
Clippers
62
19.1
4.3
10.7
2.5
46.7%
36.8%
2014-15
Clippers
82
19.1
4.6
10.2
1.9
48.5%
39.8%
2015-16
Clippers
74
19.5
4.2
10.0
2.1
46.2%
37.1%
2016-17
Clippers
61
18.1
5.0
9.2
2.0
47.6%
41.1%
2017-18
Rockets
58
18.6
5.4
7.9
1.7
46.0%
38.0%
2018-19
Rockets
58
15.6
4.6
8.2
2.0
41.9%
35.8%
2019-20
Thunder
70
17.6
5.0
6.7
1.6
48.9%
36.5%
2020-21
Suns
70
16.4
4.5
8.9
1.4
49.9%
39.5%
2021-22
Suns
65
14.7
4.4
10.8
1.9
49.3%
31.7%
2022-23
Suns
59
13.9
4.3
8.9
1.5
44.0%
37.5%
2023-24
Warriors
58
9.2
3.9
6.8
1.2
44.1%
37.1%
2024-25
Spurs
82
8.8
3.6
7.4
1.3
42.7%
37.7%
2025-26
Clippers
16
2.9
1.8
3.3
0.7
32.1%
33.3%
Career
1,370
16.8
4.4
9.2
2.0
46.9%
37.0%
Paul ranks second in NBA history in both assists and steals; he led the NBA in assists per game five times and steals per game six times in his 21 seasons.
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All-time point guard scoring leaders
Rank
Player
Points
1
Russell Westbrook
27,001
2
Oscar Robertson
26,710
3
Stephen Curry
26,447
4
Chris Paul
23,058
5
Damian Lillard
22,598
6
Gary Payton
21,813
7
John Stockton
19,711
8
Tony Parker
19,473
9
Isiah Thomas
18,822
10
Jerry West
18,092
Paul ranks fourth all-time in points by a full-time point guard, trailing only Russell Westbrook, Oscar Robertson and Stephen Curry.
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Chris Paul career accomplishments
Despite questions about his playoff track record, Paul had no shortage of on-court accomplishments in his NBA career:
Second all-time in assists (12,552)
Second all-time in steals (2,728)
9 All-Defensive selections
Rookie of the Year (2005-06)
All-Star Game MVP (2012-13)
Even as a player who was considered a pass-first point guard, Paul scored 23,058 points and ranks 36th on the all-time NBA scoring list.
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Does Chris Paul have a ring?
Paul never won an NBA championship, despite being part of more than a few highly successful teams.
The Clippers never reached the conference finals during Paul’s tenure, but he advanced to the NBA Finals with the Phoenix Suns in 2021. Paul, who recovered from an injury and a COVID-related absence to play in the Finals, helped the Suns take a 2-0 series lead before the Milwaukee Bucks won the final four games.
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Paul’s other best chance to win a title came in 2018, when the Houston Rockets had the Golden State Warriors on the ropes with a 3-2 lead in the conference finals. Paul suffered a hamstring injury late in Game 5 and missed the final two games of the series, during which the Rockets blew double-digit leads in both. The Warriors went on to sweep the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.
Why is Chris Paul retiring?
By playing 21 seasons, Paul had a longer career than all but a handful of players in NBA history. His offensive efficiency dipped in recent years, but his passing ability and leadership allowed him to stick around and even play a significant role with the San Antonio Spurs last season.
Entering 2025-26, Paul’s plan made plenty of sense. He made it clear he only wanted to play close to home in Los Angeles, signed with the Clippers and planned to retire when the season ended.
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When the Clippers sent him home, Paul had to face a choice of playing elsewhere or just hanging it up. While the level of interest Paul received from other teams, if any, isn’t clear, he ultimately decided to call it a career rather than start fresh in a new city while playing only a limited role.
Chris Paul teams
Paul played for seven different teams during his 21 NBA seasons:
Team
Years
New Orleans Hornets
2005-11
Los Angeles Clippers
2011-17
Houston Rockets
2017-19
Oklahoma City Thunder
2019-20
Phoenix Suns
2020-23
Golden State Warriors
2023-24
San Antonio Spurs
2024-25
Los Angeles Clippers
2025-26
Drafted by the Hornets (now Pelicans) in 2005, Paul spent his first six seasons in New Orleans before a trade to the Clippers after a deal that would have sent him to the Los Angeles Lakers was blocked by the NBA. Paul also spent a portion of his early days playing in Oklahoma City as a Hornet, as the team was temporarily relocated following Hurricane Katrina.
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After his first stint with the Clippers, Paul played for the Rockets, Thunder, Suns, Warriors and Spurs, coming within a win of the NBA Finals in Houston and reaching the Finals in Phoenix after revitalizing his career in Oklahoma City.
Paul finished his career with the Clippers, though he spent the past week under contract with the Raptors despite never reporting to the team.
When is Chris Paul eligible for the Hall of Fame?
Paul will be eligible for induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2029. If LeBron James decides to hang it up after this season as well, the two could go into the Hall together.