NBA star Chris Paul said Monday that his decision to return to the Los Angeles Clippers for his 21st season with the league was “no brainer.”
Paul, who has agreed to a one-year deal with the Clippers, held a news conference to answer questions about his career and the upcoming season.
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.