Chris Paul believes he will retire as an NBA champion.
Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Chris Paul has gone the last 18 years without an NBA championship, but he apparently still believes that a ring is on the way. In an exclusive chat with Dwyane Wade, the Warriors guard opened up his title odds and revealed his level of faith in capturing a championship before it’s all said and done.
“Even though I think I’m gonna win a championship before I’m done, yes, absolutely,” said Paul on whether his career will feel complete if he doesn’t win a title. “I can’t even process not winning a championship, it’s just literally how I’m built but I love what I’ve been able to do with my career.”
At 38 years old, Chris Paul is running out of time to add the Larry O’Brien trophy to his resume, but stranger things have happened. Even in year 19, Paul still has a chance to make a run on a Warriors team that already has four championships to its name.
Off the bench, Chris has been great for the Dubs as their primary ball-handler and the guy who sets up the second unit offensively. Averaging 8.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game, his play has been a bright spot for the team in what has otherwise been a pretty chaotic campaign.
But if the Warriors can get it together at the right time and click when it matters the most, it could give Chris the opportunity he’s been waiting for since the Suns made the Finals back in 2021. If not this year, Paul may have better luck on another team in the future, assuming he maintains his impressive run of longevity. Regardless, Paul is convinced that it’s only a matter of time before he wins the chip and it could be sooner than you think…
Chris Paul’s Failed Championship Expeditions
As a 12x All-Star, 11x All-NBA player, and 9x All-Defensive star, there is no question that Chris Paul is one of the All-Time greats. He was named among the league’s Top 75 players ever back in 2021 and his greatness as a legendary floor general will inspire awe for years to come.
But for all of Chris Paul’s achievements, there is one that has alluded him for nearly two decades now: an NBA championship. During his first stint in New Orleans, Paul was at his best physically and he broke out into a superstar — but he was never good enough to carry his team past the finish line, and his teammates were never good enough to make up the difference.
When he became a Clipper in 2011, it changed the trajectory of his career and an entire NBA franchise… but it failed to bear any real fruit. Aside from a few playoff series victories, the Clippers fell short time and time again in the postseason and Paul was at the center of it all.
His brief stops in OKC and Houston didn’t fare much better for the self-proclaimed “point God.” It wasn’t until his 2021 season with the Suns that he finally got within sniffing distance of the trophy… before losing the series to the Bucks.
This year, Paul is hoping that the Warriors can give him his best shot yet at raising the Larry O’Brien. With Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, he joined forces with his old rivals to pursue one last title and it looks like it may continue past this season. Clearly, he feels strongly about their chances of success in the near future.
