The San Antonio Spurs defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 121-116 yesterday. Aside from that, Chris Paul made history by surpassing Jason Kidd’s record. The game between the Spurs and Pelicans was competitive, yet thanks to Paul’s playmaking skill, the Spurs came out on top. What history did Paul make in the victory?
Chris Paul Surpasses Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd is the current coach of the Dallas Mavericks and also played in the NBA, where he totaled 12,091 assists. Chris Paul is in his 20th season at 39 years with the San Antonio Spurs. The veteran guard’s playing style is invaluable as he sets up his teammates and plays good defense as a six-footer.
Young players like Victor Wembanyama benefit from Paul’s playmaking skill as he is averaging 23.6 points per game. With the Golden State Warriors, Chris Paul mainly came off the bench, so he didn’t have a chance to make NBA history like he did the San Antonio Spurs. At 39 years old, Paul still proves his value as an NBA guard by surpassing Jason Kidd in all-time assists.
Paul didn’t just surpass Jason Kidd, he helped his team win against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Spurs played against the Pelicans and won by a five-point margin. Chris Paul had 10 assists in that game to put himself ahead of Kidd in career assists. Now, Paul had 12,099 assists in 1,296 career games.
CP3 got his historic assist with his first five assists against the New Orleans Pelicans. The fifth assist was an inbound pass to Victor Wembanyama who made the corner three-point shot with more than five minutes left in the first half. Paul finished the game with six points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds. Ahead of the 11-time All-NBA guard, John Stockton of the Utah Jazz holds the first position with 15,806 assists in 19 seasons.
Paul’s Impact With San Antonio
Though Victor Wembanyama is the star player at the Spurs, Chris Paul’s addition to the team makes Wemby’s job easier. Paul’s playmaking skill doesn’t only help the second-year center. Other players like Julian Champagnie, Stephon Castle, and Harrison Barnes have benefitted from Paul’s playing style as they all average double-digit points per game.
The Spurs dominated the second quarter against the Pelicans with more than 40 points to maintain the game’s competitiveness. Wembanyama finished with a double-double of 25 points and 10 rebounds. Barnes had 16 points and three assists. Castle also finished with 22 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Finally, Champagnie finished with 12 points and 6 rebounds. So Paul’s playmaking skill helped his teammate thrive on the court offensively. Currently, CP3 averages 10.4 points, 8.5 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game.
The team’s offensive rating has improved since Chris Paul joined the franchise. With his experience, the All-NBA guard facilitates the offense to ensure better ball movement on the court. Currently, the San Antonio Spurs rank 17th in offensive rating and 16th in defensive rating going 12-12 in 24 games. If the team continues to remain competitive, they could clinch the 2024-25 play-in position to qualify for the NBA Playoffs.
Reactions To Paul’s Achievement
Paul received much praise for his achievements. Yet, the most notable ones were from NBA legend Carmelo Anthony and Paul’s wife, Jada Paul. Anthony expressed on a podcast that “no guard in the history of the game” has done what Paul’s doing. This remark is understandable to the All-Star’s age. Jada Paul congratulated her husband on Instagram saying, “Congrats Hunny.”
Jada Paul has been a supporter of Chris Paul even through the tough times of his career. CP3 also spoke about his performance referencing John Stockton. “I mean, I remember being a rookie, I said that before, looking up in Utah, seeing John Stockton, all-time steals and assist leader. So, yeah, it is kind of crazy. I mean, I’m grateful for the opportunity to still continue to play”
Final Thoughts
Is it over for CP3? Yes, it is. It’s over for Paul in the all-time assist leaderboard. John Stockton has over 3,000 assists more than Paul. So the All-NBA guard would need to play more than 700 games averaging at least eight assists per game and given his age that won’t be possible.
On the other hand, Paul can pass Jason Kidd in steals per game. Currently, Paul has 2,648 steals throughout his career. Kidd has 2,684 steals and he’s the second. Stockton is the leader in all-time steals with 3, 265. Thus, if Paul stays healthy, he can pass Jason Kidd with 37 steals.
