Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James saluted Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul on his Instagram story amid rumors that the 12-time All-Star will retire after this season.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Saturday that the 2025-26 season is expected to be Paul’s 21st and last in the NBA.
Paul also implied that this was his last year in a social media post on Saturday in advance of his team’s road game at the Charlotte Hornets.
Paul was born and raised in North Carolina and went to college at Wake Forest before entering the NBA in 2005.
If this is it for Paul, then he’s about to cap off a career that will assuredly be honored by the Basketball Hall of Fame.
He led the NBA in steals six times and assists on five occasions. The 11-time All-NBA selection also won the 2005-06 Rookie of the Year award. In addition, Paul is a nine-time member of the All-NBA Defensive team, and he earned a spot on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
Paul finished top nine in the NBA MVP voting 10 different times as well.
For his career, Paul has averaged 16.9 points, 9.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. He’s played for seven different teams and currently suits up for the Los Angeles Clippers, marking his second stint with the franchise.
James is the only current NBA player who has been in the league longer than Paul at this moment. The two notably won a pair of Olympic gold medals together for Team USA men’s basketball at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Games.
Naturally, there’s great respect between the two players, and with Paul’s career apparently winding down, James wanted to give credit.
