Chris Paul’s Social Media Post announcing his Perfect 2025-26 Retirement Tour
The 2025-26 season will be the 12-time All-Star’s last ride as Chris Paul announced on his social media, and it was later confirmed by ESPN’s Shams Charania. The post by CP3 read “What a ride… Still so much left … GRATEFUL for this last one!!” Paul hasn’t had the greatest season in his limited role with the Clippers so far, as the Clippers as a whole have struggled thus far. However, there is no doubt that CP3 fans like myself will enjoy the ride for this season as the year progresses. Let’s get into a bit about his career and how he made an impact in this league for 21 seasons.
The Post in Question
The Clippers are in Charlotte today for a game against the Hornets, as North Carolina is the home for CP3. So he felt compelled to make a social media post that would shake the foundation of what this season is going to mean moving forward for that organization and fans alike.
Here’s his career summed up into each era of his career to this point.
His New Orleans Run
Paul was drafted in 2006 by the New Orleans Hornets (Now the Pelicans) with the 4th pick in that Draft. The debate of that draft was between him and Derron Williams. Paul would go on to win the 2006 Rookie of the Year award in a year when the team played its home games in Oklahoma City due to Hurricane Katrina. Paul would finish second in the MVP voting behind Kobe Bryant in 2008. And would have a couple of great playoff moments as well, especially a tough battle against the Spurs.
His First Clippers Run
This was the prime of his career, where he was by far the best point guard in the game until Stephen Curry’s ascension in the middle of the 2010s. But CP3 was the catalyst for those Lob City teams that would almost break through in the playoffs but would have the Donald Sterling drama, along with the Collapses against the Thunder and Rockets in back-to-back seasons.
This was also where Paul would be one of the guys who could turn defense into quick offense a lot more efficiently because of the lob threats of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, along with snipers Jamal Crawford and J.J. Redick. Those were fun teams.
Paul’s Rockets Era
This was the first time Paul had a legit chance at winning the NBA Championship in his career, and in 2017-18, probably would have done it if the Rockets didn’t choke in Game 7 against the Warriors by missing 27 three-pointers in a row in that Game 7 at home of the Western Conference Finals. Then the relationship between him and James Harden came crumbling down, leading to the Russell Westbrook Trade.
Paul’s first Mentorship Stop
Paul would be traded to OKC in the Westbrook trade, and he is partially responsible for creating the monster that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has become today, by that one season in OKC with Paul. Paul taught that team a lot, especially the 2024-25 MVP. He would help that team make the postseason that season in the bubble, and then would get another great situation to win the Championship a year after.
The Suns Run
The Phoenix Suns hadn’t been to the NBA Finals since 1993 before Chris Paul would get there, and technically that run started in the Bubble with the hot Suns play led by Devin Booker. But that 2020-21 season was a magical run for the Suns led by the duo of Paul and Booker, even though the teams they faced had some injuries in the Postseason, but the Suns were two crucial plays away from winning the Championship.
But credit to the Bucks for making those plays led by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holliday. CP3 had something left and was special in those playoffs, especially in the Western Conference Finals against his old Clippers team.
His Last Mentorship Stop
After the Suns pivoted to get Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal to move on from the CP3 era, Paul found his way to the San Antonio Spurs after getting a buyout from the Wizards. Last season, Paul would play in all 82 games and would help San Antonio have some hope that they would make the postseason early with the ascension of Victor Wembanyama starting to blossom until his season ended due to a deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder. But last season, the signs started to show that Paul was at the time for him to retire, which leads to the present day.
This Season So Far
Paul is only averaging 2.5 points per game, 1.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game on 37.3% shooting, all career lows to this point. I think the announcement early on Saturday was the perfect timing to start the tour because it starts at his home, where it all began for CP3 in his basketball life. This tour is going to be an emotional one for CP3, his family, the Clippers organization, and the fans, including me. I’m looking forward to seeing how his career finishes.
