by Cedric ‘BIG CED’ Thornton
‘This is it! After over 21 years I’m stepping away from basketball!’
After announcing before the season that this would be his last, although it did not pan out as he hoped, future NBA Hall of Famer Chris Paul has made it official: he is retiring from basketball after being traded to and then waived by the Toronto Raptors.
The All-Star point guard took to his social media account to let the world know that he has led his last NBA team down the court.
“This is it! After over 21 years I’m stepping away from basketball. As I write this, it’s hard to really know what to feel, but for once — most people would be surprised — I don’t have the answer lol! But, mostly I’m filled with so much joy and gratitude! While this chapter of being an “NBA player” is done, the game of basketball will forever be engrained in the DNA of my life.”
After reports of disagreements with the Clippers’ head coach, Tyronn Lue, and several teammates during the season, the team sent the point guard home in the middle of the night during a road trip in Atlanta. At 3 a.m. on Dec. 3, the veteran posted on his social media account that he was being “sent home” by the Clippers.
Lawrence Frank, the team’s President of Basketball Operations, released a statement that confirmed the release.
The once-explosive point guard was traded to the Raptors as the trade deadline approached, and after the team made it clear he was not in their future plans, Paul decided to call it quits.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver released a statement praising the career of the point guard and gave him props for his work as a former president of the National Basketball Players Association.
“After 21 remarkable seasons, Chris Paul retires as one of the greatest point guards in NBA history and a true steward of our sport,” Silver said in a written statement. “From the moment he entered the league, Chris distinguished himself with his savvy playmaking skills, elite competitiveness and intense work ethic. He also poured enormous time and energy into his role as President of the Players Association – offering thoughtful and principled perspectives to strengthen our game and our business.”
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Source: Black Enterprise
