Chris Paul. Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Chris Paul ends legendary career ranked fifth all-time on elite NBA list

By Yagya Bhargava | Last updated Feb 13, 2026 7:01 PM ET

Chris Paul called it a career on Friday. Twenty-one seasons, and just like that, one of the longest runs in NBA history is over. The timing was something, though.

The Toronto Raptors waived him the same day he made the announcement. Paul never played a single game for Toronto after the Feb. 4 trade from the Los Angeles Clippers. The Raptors didn't ask him to report and had been shopping other options before the deadline.

Truth is, things had already unraveled before he even got there. He hadn't stepped on a court since Dec. 1, and two days after that, the Clippers cut ties following a brutal 5-16 start.

Reports surfaced about friction with head coach Tyronn Lue, but nothing official ever came of it. His final numbers said enough on their own. Sixteen games, 2.9 points, 3.3 assists and 1.8 rebounds, all career lows.

He's walking away having earned more than $408 million in on-court money, fifth on the all-time list, per Spotrac. LeBron James leads at $581 million, followed by Kevin Durant at $501 million, Stephen Curry at $470 million and James Harden at $411 million.

Chris Paul retires from the #NBA having earned just over $408M on the court across 20+ seasons, which ranks 5th all-time.

1. LeBron James, $581M
2. Kevin Durant $501M
3. Stephen Curry, $470M
4. James Harden, $411M
5. Chris Paul, $408M
— Spotrac (@spotrac) February 13, 2026

The career that turned Chris Paul into a legend

Paul entered the league in 2005 after the New Orleans Hornets selected him in the draft with the fourth overall pick. The early years were far from ordinary. Hurricane Katrina forced the team to split home games between New Orleans and Oklahoma City, but none of it slowed his climb. By 2007-08, he was an All-Star and widely considered the best point guard in the game.

A $68 million extension followed, along with a league record for consecutive games with a steal. Injuries crept in after that, knee surgery in 2010 and a concussion in 2011, before he was traded to the Clippers.

His time with the Clippers changed that franchise. Blake Griffin credited Paul with putting them on the map.

He re-signed for five years and $107 million, played all 82 games in 2014-15, then headed to Houston in 2017 and locked in a $160 million extension the following year. Oklahoma City came next, then Phoenix, where he pushed the Suns to the NBA Finals.

The resume tells the rest. Rookie of the Year, All-Star Game MVP, five assist titles, six steal crowns, 11 All-NBA and nine All-Defensive selections, and Olympic gold in 2008 and 2012. Not a bad run for a future Hall of Famer.

Yagya Bhargava

Yagya Bhargava began his professional journey as a chef, but his passion for sports eventually led him into sports journalism. He started writing in 2022 and has since published more than 5,000 articles covering the NFL and NBA. Along the way, he’s worked with outlets like The Cold Wire, Sportskeeda, The SportsRush, and The Big Lead

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