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Chris Paul to retire at the end of season, ending 21-year career as an LA Clipper

Chris Paul to retire at the end of season, ending 21-year career as an LA Clipper originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Legendary NBA player Chris Paul is planning to retire at the end of the season, making an announcement on social media ahead of Saturday’s Clippers game in his native state of North Carolina. 

The video message showed nostalgic images of Paul’s past jerseys, clips from his childhood and the moment he was drafted to play for the then-New Orleans Hornets in 2005.

“Back in NC!!! What a ride…Still so much left…GRATEFUL for this last one!!,” the 12-time All-Star wrote on Instagram.

The social media announcement ended with the phrase “never delay gratitude.” 

His wife, Jada Paul, also confirmed the iconic point guard’s retirement plan in an Instagram Story, congratulating him for a “helluva career.”

The 2025-2026 NBA season had been expected to be the last one for Paul after the star agreed to a one-year deal with the Clippers in July.

The 12-time All-Star had some of his best years with the Clippers from 2011-17 — five All-Star selections, five All-NBA nods and six First-Team All-Defense honors. The “Lob City” Clippers turned the once-lowly franchise around as Paul and Blake Griffin led the team to the second round three times.

Paul, who turned 40 in May, is coming off a productive 2024-25 season with the San Antonio Spurs. Paul started all 82 games for the Spurs, averaging 8.8 points and 7.4 assists for the young squad.

Over his first 20 seasons, Paul has piled up the accolades to become a guaranteed first-ballot Hall of Famer. He’s played for the New Orleans Hornets (2005-11), Clippers (2011-17), Houston Rockets (2017-19), Oklahoma City Thunder (2019-20), Phoenix Suns (2020-23), Golden State Warriors (2023-24) and Spurs (2024-25), with career averages of 17.0 points, 9.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds.

Paul, a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, has led the league in assists five times and steals six times. The only thing eluding him is a title, with his closest call coming in 2021 when the Suns lost in the NBA Finals to the Milwaukee Bucks.

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Beating Pumas could open pivotal chapter in England’s 2027 World Cup story

Defeat of Argentina in 2000 was important stepping stone for Clive Woodward’s side on way to winning ultimate prize

It is exactly 25 years since the most fraught pre-match buildup in the history of English international rugby union. In this same week in November 2000 a pay row led to the entire national side walking out on strike, prompting Clive Woodward to threaten that an alternative team of lower-league amateurs would be chosen if his players did not return to training by 11am the following morning.

After a tense standoff they duly did so, a grudging truce was agreed and the weekend game against Argentina went ahead with England winning 19-0. Three years later all but two of that matchday squad (the exceptions were David Flatman and Matt Perry) were lifting the Rugby World Cup in Australia. The moral of the “strike” story? The darkest hour can be the springboard to a spectacular golden dawn.

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The Kings Lose Yet Again, And It’s Exactly The Same Story

Los Angeles Kings fans have been watching the same script since the start of the season. They have now played in 10 overtime games this season, tying the Edmonton Oilers for the most in the league, and tonight's loss to the Boston Bruins puts them 4-0-6 in extra periods, the most losses by any team in overtime. 

Despite outshooting their opponent 32-26, for the second straight game, the Kings once again came up short in overtime, scoring just one goal with 32 shots tells the whole story.

The Los Angeles Kings can play well enough and come back from leads to force overtime; they can even dominate large stretches of games, but when the clock hits zero, something always happens. 

Then, it’s deja vu in extra periods; everything turns to dust. 

On Friday night, coming off another shootout loss to the Sharks last night, the Kings once again fell in back-to-back overtime losses, losing 2-1 to the Boston Bruins. It’s not a fluke when the same ending plays out repeatedly; it’s a pattern, and it’s frustrating to watch. 

Kings Followed the Same Ending on a Different Night

If you’ve watched the Kings play all season, you’ve seen this movie before. They battle back, get the tying goal, generate more shots and chances than their opponent, and then, when it matters most, they break down in overtime.

Joel Armia scored the lone goal for LA midway through the third period, giving the Kings the push to stay in the game. Once OT began, the same script repeated: missed assignments, misreads, and the Bruins capitalizing immediately, and Morgan Geekie scored his second goal of the game to take the Kings' hearts. 

Overtime Is A Liability

The Kings aren’t getting outworked or losing badly; they’re failing to finish games in one format that has repeatedly haunted them: 3-on-3 overtime. 

LA just looks noticeably less confident once the game reaches sudden death. Back-to-back overtime losses expose an issue that the Kings haven’t solved, and opposing teams will use it against them when games matter. 

Right now, the story isn’t that they're losing, it’s that they’re losing the same way, and everyone keeps seeing it. Until the Kings break the script, the momentum won’t swing in their favor, and the frustration will only keep growing. 

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Gone in 49.3 seconds: Suns erase 8-point deficit with stunning last-minute comeback

The Minnesota Timberwolves had an eight-point lead with less than minute to go Friday night, talking a little smack to their opponents as a hard-fought, chippy game between Western Conference rivals came to a close. There was one problem: The Phoenix Suns weren't done. Backup guard Collin Gillespie hit the go-ahead jumper with 6.4 seconds left and the Suns rallied to stun the Timberwolves 114-113 for their seventh win in eight games.

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Clark scores 22 as No. 19 UCLA beats Presbyterian 86-46

Skyy Clark scored a season-high 22 points and Donovan Dent added 14 plus five assists as No. 19 UCLA remained perfect on its home court with an 86-46 victory over Presbyterian on Friday night. Brandon Williams had 11 points and seven rebounds as the Bruins (5-1) dominated without leading scorer Tyler Bilodeau, who sprained his left knee in practice this week. UCLA shot 62.7% from the floor, its best mark in seven seasons under coach Mick Cronin.

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Cluff powers No. 1 Purdue over No. 15 Texas Tech in the Bahamas, 86-56

Oscar Cluff had 15 points and 15 rebounds as No. 1 Purdue remained unbeaten with an 86-56 win over No. 15 Texas Tech on Friday night in the final of the Baha Mar Championship. Trey Kaufman-Renn had 12 points, Omer Mayer and Daniel Jacobsen each scored 11, and Fletcher Loyer, Braden Smith and CJ Cox had 10 points apiece for the Boilermakers (6-0).