Former OKC Thunder Veteran Guard, Team Mentor Rejoins L.A. Clippers

A major mentor of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, former OKC veteran Chris Paul has landed back with the L.A. Clippers for what looks like his final NBA season.

Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul (right) talks with guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (left) and guard Dennis Schroder (17) during the first half in game four of the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

Chris Paul's impact on a young Shai Gilgeous-Alexander couldn't be understated.

A then mid-30-year old, Paul was mentoring a soon-to-be NBA MVP and NBA champion as a veteran guard who'd seen a great amount of the league in his decade-plus of experience as a pass-first point guard.

His role on the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2019-20 season was nothing short of impactful, helping the team reach the postseason in the bubble averaging 21.3 points and 5.3 assists across the team's lone seven-game series. That year, Gilgeous-Alexander—a talented, bright-eyed sophomore—saw impressive numbers and a massive jump in production from his rookie campaign, notching nearly 20 points on average in the regular season on efficient scoring.

That season molded Gilgeous-Alexander greatly, and large part to Paul's guidance.

"Not only like a big brother, a mentor, but just like a friend. He’s always there to lean on," Gilgeous-Alexander said of Paul after seeing him at one of Oklahoma City's postseason games in the Western Conference Finals back in May.

"He was the first guy in my life that I was close with that achieved the things I wanted to achieve and I really lean on him for advice and not only basketball advice, business advice, taking care of your body advice… his guidance with that has been great—just being there as friend, he’s been special."

Ever since that season, Gilgeous-Alexander has continued to grow, while Paul has bounced around with different teams as the clock on his career continues to tick. And before the 2025-26 season, Paul made it pretty clear where the timeline of his career is at—just before it was announced he'd be rejoining the L.A. Clippers, his home from 2011-2017.

"At the most, a year,” Paul said of how long he has left in the league. “I just finished my 20th season, which is a blessing in itself."

In his 21st season and potentially his last, Paul will be joining the Clippers on a one-year, $3.6 million deal, joining a talented Clippers team who used to bear the moniker of Lob City during the Paul and Blake Griffin era back in the mid 2010s.

It'll be a sound fit and a bittersweet ending for Paul this upcoming season, but his impact will not be forgotten on Gilgeous-Alexander and the league as a whole.