Future Hall of Fame point guard made a lasting impression in OKC.
Chris Paul officially announced his retirement from the NBA on Friday, sending a ripple through the league that felt both inevitable and surprising at the same time.
The 12-time All-Star had not been active in NBA action for some time after pausing play with the LA Clippers, the team he rejoined prior to the start of the season. A trade deadline deal later sent him to the Toronto Raptors, though he never ultimately reported. And now, with his decision made, it appears we have seen the last of Paul in the NBA.
While it still felt like he had something left in the tank, the basketball IQ, the midrange touch, the command of a locker room, Paul walks away as a surefire future Hall of Famer and one of the greatest point guards the game has ever seen.
One player who shares a particularly strong bond with Paul is Oklahoma City Thunder MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. During Paul’s lone season in Oklahoma City in 2019-20, he served as both a mentor and on-court partner for the then 21-year-old Gilgeous-Alexander, helping guide a young Thunder team to the playoffs and laying a foundation that still resonates years later.
Gilgeous-Alexander has long been vocal about Paul’s influence, not just in terms of pick-and-roll reads or late-game poise, but professionalism, preparation and leadership. At NBA All-Star weekend in Los Angeles, he was asked about Paul’s retirement and offered a thoughtful response, admitting he was surprised this is how it ended and that he imagined Paul receiving his flowers in a different setting.
ThunderRoundtable was on site in Los Angeles to capture Gilgeous-Alexander’s reaction, with the full clip of his comments available here. It was a fitting moment, one generation of elite point guard reflecting on another, and a reminder that while Chris Paul’s playing days may be over, his imprint on the NBA and on stars like Gilgeous-Alexander will endure.