Former Spur Chris Paul’s Legacy Lives in His Lasting Leadership

SAN ANTONIO — When Chris Paul announced that he would finish his NBA career back home in Los Angeles, it seemed like a storybook ending for the man many consider the greatest LA Clipper of all time.

Then, in the middle of the night, in the middle of a road trip, shocking news broke that the struggling Clippers had decided to part ways with their franchise legend, prematurely ending his retirement tour.

At 1:40 a.m. Central, Paul posted to his Instagram story. “Just Found Out I’m Being Sent Home," it read.

Chris Paul’s Instagram story.

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Since his release, reports of Paul’s intense leadership style and focus on accountability becoming a point of friction within the organization have emerged. Paul is a vocal, driven leader who has improved results for every team he’s joined in his NBA career. It seems that intensity wasn’t received in the same way by the Clippers, who have the oldest roster in the NBA and boast a disappointing 6-16 record.

Clippers executive Lawrence Frank traveled to Atlanta to deliver the news in person, and later said that they didn’t blame Paul for the team’s underperformance this season. For Paul, who had hoped to conclude his final season with the franchise he helped define, the fallout leaves a complicated and uncertain next chapter.

While this move marks a sour end with Los Angeles, it does nothing to diminish the legacy Chris Paul built over two decades in the NBA.

A 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection and nine-time All-Defensive team member, Paul is certainly a lock to make it into the Hall of Fame. He ranks second all-time in assists with 12,552 and second in NBA history in steals. Along the way he earned two Olympic gold medals.

But those numbers alone don’t capture what Paul leaves behind. It is his leadership, his ability to elevate those around him, that may be his greatest legacy.

Apr 6, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; San Antonio Spurs point guard Chris Paul (3) looks on during the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. | Soobum Im-Imagn Images

Paul led one of the most impressive offenses in basketball history during the Lob City Era in Los Angeles; his tape became a must watch for any aspiring floor general. Anyone can learn from watching Paul, and many have learned by playing with him.

Most recently he shared his wisdom with the San Antonio Spurs.

Paul once silenced San Antonio, drilling a one-legged, bank-shot dagger over Tim Duncan in 2015 to end the Spurs’ back-to-back title hopes. He returned nearly a decade later, not as a villain, but as a veteran leader.

In an unexpected twist of basketball fate, the city that once cursed his name came to respect him, cheer for him and ultimately embrace him after he signed with their team in 2024. He played all 82 games.

Paul has never won a ring, though he came close, and absolutely deserves one. Many would have understood if he chased a title by joining a contender, but he didn’t. Instead, he joined a not-yet-playoff-ready Spurs team full of young, hungry players — namely third-year star and new face of the league, Victor Wembanyama.

Jan 17, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) and center Victor Wembanyama (1) at midcourt during the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies at Frost Bank Center. | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Paul will be remembered for his storied career, but it’s worth remembering what he did for the Spurs. The numbers speak for themselves.

San Antonio won 41 percent of its games when Paul joined the team, compared to 27 percent of their games the year prior. In just 46 games together, Paul assisted on 121 of Wembanyama’s shots, which put them at 15th in the league during the 2024-2025 season.

A veteran in the locker room, a mentor to Wembanyama, Castle and every other player, Paul helped lay the foundation for what the Spurs are becoming.

Gregg Popovich knew it would happen before the 2024 NBA season even started. He made that clear at Media Day.

“Having (Paul) and (Harrison Barnes) at this stage of (their) careers is really wonderful for the youth we have," he said. "When a player that you respect says the same stuff that we’re saying, to a player sometimes that’s a lot more valuable. Having them around is going to be super.”

Paul provided discipline–bettering habits, play and professionalism. His mentorship and impact on young players has been apparent throughout his career. Castle couldn’t have had a better mentor in his Rookie of the Year campaign, and some of Paul’s signature grit rubbed off on the rookie, who already played with a chip on his shoulder.

By the end of the season, Castle grew into San Antonio’s primary offensive weapon when it was playing without Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox.

Castle is far from the only young player shaped by Paul’s influence. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander only played one season with Paul on the Oklahoma City Thunder, yet their relationship left a lasting imprint.

“(Chris) has been great," the reigning MVP said that season. "Not only like a big brother, mentor, but just as a friend. He was always there to lean on ... (he was) the first guy in my life that I was close with, that achieved the things I wanted to achieve.”

May 22, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) talks to Chris Paul after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves during Game 2 of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

That season Gilgeous-Alexander emerged as the Thunder’s leading scorer, a development Paul helped drive. And in Phoenix, Deandre Ayton expressed similar appreciation

“I love C.P., man," he said. "That’s really the only teammate that really pushed me — like big-bro type push — knowing what I got and what I never thought that I had. I think he was the best thing that ever happened to my career."

Paul's legacy lives on in the players and programs he helped elevate.

Spurs fans will remember the moments that made Paul feel like one of theirs: slapping Dillon Brooks for trying to fight with Wembanyama, and grabbing the 7-foot-4 alien’s hands to give him the jump ball against 7-foot-5 Zach Edey. And why? If you’ve got two giants, let them settle it.

When Paul is on the court, there’s almost no standing around. He’s constantly communicating, directing and teaching. The Spurs made a fantastic move adding a true point guard and a natural leader to this team. They have clearly benefitted from it.

Last season, the Spurs added De’Aaron Fox to their team as their new long-term point guard, clearing the way for Paul to seek a role elsewhere. He ultimately chose the Clippers to be closer to his family, but the Clippers decided to terminate their partnership.

Spurs fans will now remember him less for that shot in 2015, and more for how much he influenced their beloved team. His short time in San Antonio helped Wembanyama, Castle and the rest of the young team grow toward its bright future.

“Some of the things he's taught us," Devin Vassell said, "I'll hold as long as I'm playing.”

Even though he’s no longer a Spur, Chris Paul’s leadership in San Antonio continues to leave a lasting mark.

“Chris was a big voice for us last year," Julian Champagnie said, "a good vocal leader … it’s going to be hard to fill those shoes."

“Chris is probably one of my favorite teammates that I've ever had at any level,” Barnes added.

Spurs Coach Mitch Johnson, who is younger than Chris Paul, took on major responsibility last season when he stepped into the void left by Hall-of-Famer Gregg Popovich. Paul’s presence helped make that undertaking steadier.

“I don't think any team in the league needed him as much as ours did," the coach said. "Especially me."

Mar 1, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; San Antonio Spurs interim head coach Mitch Johnson talks with guard Chris Paul (3) during the first quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

As the Spurs continue building toward what could become another era of sustained greatness, Chris Paul’s impact will live on in the habits, culture and confidence he instilled in their young core.

But beyond San Antonio, his legacy stretches across the entire NBA: one of the greatest point guards to ever play the game, a master of tempo and precision, a competitor whose leadership elevated every franchise he touched.

The "Point God" will leave the league not just with statistics and accolades, but with generations of players on the Spurs and beyond who learned how to see the floor, how to lead and how to chase greatness.