In the midst of a resurgent All-Star season, Thunder point guard Chris Paul said he aspires to play for at least another five seasons, NBC Sports’ Dan Feldman relays.
In 55 games this season, the 34-year-old is averaging 17.6 PPG and 6.6 APG for Oklahoma City while stepping up to be one of the league’s best late-game performers. As Feldman notes, the 15-year NBA veteran became the oldest player to make an All-Star team after not being selected for the honor the three seasons prior.
“Especially the way that my body feels now, I definitely probably at least want to play at least 20 years,” Paul said.
It would be a lofty but not impossible goal for Paul, as seven players in NBA history have played at least 20 seasons. That list includes current Hawks veteran Vince Carter (22 seasons), who is in the midst of his final season. Dirk Nowitzki (21 seasons), Kevin Garnett (21 seasons), Kevin Willis (21 seasons), Robert Parish (21 seasons), Kobe Bryant (20 seasons) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (20 seasons) also suited up for 20-plus campaigns.
A 10-time All-Star, Paul seemed to be at a crossroads this summer when the Rockets unloaded his hefty contract to the Thunder. Injuries and inconsistency hampered Paul during his two-year run in Houston. Then, upon being traded to the Thunder, it seemed unlikely he would even suit up for the team. At 34-22, Paul has helped the Oklahoma City to the current sixth seed in the Western Conference as a likely postseason squad.
While it remains to be seen what Paul’s future holds after 2019/20, his first year in OKC has erased any doubt that he can still be a valuable contributor to a postseason team.
Chris…see the pattern…they are all big men except VC. More wear and tear on smaller players but good luck!
Definitely the opposite, bigger players slow down a lot faster. Those knees go out with big men. As long as your not a guard that dunks or a lot of jumps he can go a long time , of course VC is an abnormality
VC is the shortest guy at 6-6, Kobe was 6-8…everyone else is 6-10+.
The list is on this same page. Read the article. Is the list a lie?– no.
As for opinions: Knees suffer at all positions. Taller players can be slower; they’re still tall. But PGs are better when they can outrun opponents.
Kobe is a big man?
I mean compared to Chris Paul he was considerably larger.
Drink 40 40s. Smoke 40 blunts.
He’s going to have to get in way better shape if he’s really thinking about this.
Maybe he figures it will be easy going in his later years, like looking at clouds while laying on his back next to the gay guy from The Office.
I could see CP3 having one or two more good to great years after this but if he’s looking to play another 3 after that, he’d definitely have to accept being a backup point guard.
Every Kevin Willis reference is a good reference.
No mention of his plant based diet though. There’s a reason he’s throwing down lobs in the all star game and it’s not referenced here lol
That’s what they were talking about the other day on ESPN, bout his diet and how it’s changed him entirely. Hes leaner.
If he’s willing to settle into a backup role, I could see him playing another 5 years. His game right now isn’t really based on athleticism so I doubt we’ll see some sort of huge drop off in per minute production.
Only if his worn-out hamstrings can hold up that long.
I like Chris Paul. But my very first reaction to this headline was, “Well you better learn where the exercise equipment is!”
Amazing that Kevin Willis lasted that long. He’s by far the worst on that list
His offensive skill set has, and will likely continue to, age well – even through 40. The issue is how long can he defend at an acceptable level. Right now, he’s still a plus defender (not what he was, but still near the top of the food chain). Considering Trae Young is the worst defender in the league and an AS starter, he’d have to fade a bunch to lose his rotation spot. That said, losing athleticism at the level needed to defend in the NBA can happen quickly.