After a two-year run at Wake Forest, Paul was the No. 4 overall pick by the New Orleans Hornets in the 2005 NBA draft. His first season saw the team improve by 20 wins from the 2004-05 campaign (18 to 38) and earn him Rookie of the Year honors.

Paul played for the Houston Rockets from 2017 to 2019, and during that time, he helped lead the team to the Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors. With Paul on the team, the Rockets posted their best regular-season record in 2017–18, finishing 65–17.

Thank you, Chris Paul. The all-time great point guard is retiring after this 2025-26 NBA season, as he posted in a message on Instagram Saturday, Nov. 22. Playing for the Los Ange