CHRIS PAUL IS RETIRING AFTER THE 2025-26 NBA SEASON CONFIRMED NEWS
NBA legend Chris Paul announces his retirement after a historic 21-season career. The 12-time All-Star ranks 2nd all-time in assists and steals, closing his career with the Golden State Warriors.
Chris Paul, a guard who has been selected as an All-Star twelve times, announced on Saturday that this will be his last season in the NBA.
While visiting his home state of North Carolina for a game against the Hornets with the Los Angeles Clippers, Paul shared a concise message on X, along with a 75-second video showcasing highlights from his career, starting from the moment he was chosen fourth overall in the 2005 NBA Draft.
"Back in NC!!! What a ride…," he wrote. "There’s still so much left. . . GRATEFUL for this last one!!
At 40 years old, Paul is now in his 21st season in the NBA. He stands second in league history for assists, amassing 12,532, and is also second in steals with 2,727, ranking just behind Hall of Famer John Stockton in both statistics. Only 15 players have participated in more games than Paul, who has appeared in 1,364 contests.
Having started his career with New Orleans, Paul earned the Rookie of the Year accolade in 2006. He has been a four-time selection to the All-NBA first team, a five-time leader in assists, a six-time steals leader, and a member of seven all-defensive first teams and was named the MVP of the All-Star Game in 2013. Additionally, he was honoured in 2021 as part of the NBA's 75th anniversary team and secured Olympic gold medals with Team USA in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.
Paul spent six seasons with New Orleans before being traded to the Clippers in 2011. He later had stints with the Houston Rockets from 2017 to 2019, the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2019-20 season, and the Phoenix Suns from 2020 to 2023 and is currently with the Golden State Warriors for the 2023-24 season.
Last year, he experienced a revival while with the San Antonio Spurs, where he took on a mentoring role for a young team, managing to play all 82 games for the first time since the 2014-15 season, averaging 8.8 points and 7.4 assists over 28 minutes per game.
In July, he returned to the Clippers but has taken on a more limited role, participating in just 10 games and averaging 2.5 points alongside 3.3 assists per game.
Throughout his career, Paul has maintained averages of 16.9 points, 9.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.0 steals.
KENDRICK BOURNE REVEALS THE STRICT DISCIPLINE THAT SPARKED THE PATRIOTS' TURNAROUND
Kendrick Bourne speaks out! Discover why he thinks Mike Vrabel is the right fit and why he’s eyeing a 2026 return to the 49ers.
Kendrick Bourne’s path through the NFL has zigzagged all over – some highs, plenty of lows, and now, another fresh start. He took a shot with the Patriots in 2025 after building his reputation with the 49ers. But honestly, that New England chapter ended before it even got going. Bourne didn’t just slip out the back door. He left with a lot to say about what he saw brewing in New England as Mike Vrabel took charge.
Once Vrabel arrived, you didn’t need to listen for rumours about a culture shift; it was obvious. Bourne noticed right away. He’s already got his eyes set on home, back with the 49ers, but even from a distance, he could see the Patriots were heading somewhere new long before their record showed it.
Talking about his exit from New England, Bourne didn’t sugarcoat anything. Losing the job itself wasn’t the hardest part. What stung was watching Vrabel put his stamp on the team, laying down the kind of structure and discipline Bourne knew would eventually pay off. He was blunt; things just felt different under Vrabel compared to before.
He put it like this: “After going through OTAs and camp with Vrabes, you just knew. Nothing against Mayo, but he just wasn’t ready. With Vrabes, the structure was totally different in how we studied, how we met, and just the whole vibe. Honestly, I was sad about it.”
This wasn’t just a guy being bitter. Bourne respected what was happening in New England and genuinely wished he could have been part of it, especially with a Super Bowl push on the horizon. He even admitted he’d wanted to be in that locker room when the Patriots finally made it back to the big stage.
Now he’s back with the 49ers, hoping to stick around. At 30, Bourne wants a new contract in San Francisco. He had a solid 2025, racked up 551 yards, picked up a contract bonus, and gave the offence a spark. The 49ers needed reliable hands, and Bourne delivered. He’s clear: he wants to stay, but only if the deal makes sense for him.
So now, the offseason gets interesting. Bourne knows where he fits best, but he’s still keeping an eye on what’s building in New England. That mix of looking back and chasing what’s next makes this part of his career one to pay attention to.
MRI SCARE: STEVE KERR ADMITS STEPH CURRY’S "NEBULOUS" KNEE MAY REQUIRE SECOND IMAGING
Warriors crisis! Discover why Steph Curry may need another MRI and how Jimmy Butler’s ACL tear shifts GSW to the play-in.
The Warriors have been scrambling since Jimmy Butler went down with that ACL tear. He’s done for the year, and now Stephen Curry has to carry the offence on his own.
Right after the All-Star break, the Warriors are sitting in eighth place out West. That’s already shaky, and now Curry’s dealing with a knee injury too. The team calls it runner's knee; basically, he just needs time to heal. But then Steve Kerr gave an update that didn’t exactly inspire confidence.
Turns out, Curry might need another MRI. He tried to push through a full workout, but his knee just wasn’t right. Now, they’re waiting on imaging to figure out how long he’ll actually be out.
Meanwhile, Kristaps Porzingis still hasn’t suited up for Golden State. If Curry misses significant time, everyone else needs to step up in a big way. The Warriors already have one of the most average offences in the league, 15th at the break. No curry, and things get ugly fast. He’s already missed 16 games this season, and the team went 6-10 without him.
Losing Butler already knocked the Warriors out of serious contention. They’re pretty much locked into the play-in. Unless Curry suddenly goes supernova, it’s hard to see them catching the Thunder or making any real noise out West.
So, what’s next? The front office tried to swing big at the deadline, going after Giannis Antetokounmpo, though who knows if the Bucks ever really considered it. Giannis stayed put, but you can bet the Warriors will chase him again this summer.
If that doesn’t work, they’ll turn to other stars. They know the championship window is closing with Curry still on the roster. He’s still elite, but time’s ticking.
LeBron James even comes up as a possibility. If he declines his player option and hits free agency, maybe he’d team up with Curry for one last run at a ring.
Most likely, though, Golden State will look at trades instead of free agents to try to reload. Curry’s health isn’t what it used to be, and the Warriors know they have to make the most of whatever prime he’s got left.