'The Spurs Chose Me': Chris Paul Enters San Antonio as Polished Veteran, Mutual Choice

Approaching his 20th season in the NBA, Chris Paul will be a valuable leader for the San Antonio Spurs in their search back to the playoffs.

Chase Gemes | Sep 30, 2024

Sep 30, 2024; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) poses for photos during Media day at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

In this story:

San Antonio Spurs

Chris Paul is no rookie at stepping foot into a new organization for the first time.

The 39-year-old has cemented his legacy as one of the NBA's all-time great point guards, most notably playing for the New Orleans Hornets, L.A. Clippers and Houston Rockets. Each new destination Paul reaches, he brings the same expertise and skillset that has made him a household name across the league.

With likely only a couple of more years at most left in his playing career, it might've been surprising that Paul chose the San Antonio Spurs — a team that sat on the bottom of the Western Conference with just 22 wins last season. He's chased an illusive NBA Finals win for all this time, and to now take a role within a young team trying to get back to the playoffs seemed strange at first glance.

But for Paul, it was a match that made total sense.

“I didn’t just choose the Spurs," the veteran said at the Spurs' Media Day. "The Spurs obviously chose me also."

San Antonio's point guard position was in a flux last year, leaving rookie Victor Wembanyama without a true playmaker in the pick-and-roll to help him get better looks. Even at his old age, Paul is still one of the smartest passers in the league, so he was a clear answer for the problem that the Spurs were trying to fix.

The experience Paul brings is possibly the most important aspect of the signing. The Spurs need veterans to make a playoff push and help develop their young core, and there are few players that can address that as well as Paul can. Especially for incoming rookie Stephon Castle — that is invaluable.

Sep 30, 2024; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs guards Stephon Castle (5) and Chris Paul (3) pose for photos during Media day at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio. / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

This isn't a new situation for Paul, either. Just for years ago he was traded from the Rockets to a rebuilding Oklahoma City Thunder reeling off the losses of Paul George and Russell Westbrook, but helped bring it to the playoffs after nearly every analyst predicted otherwise. Along with that, he helped develop Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has now progressed into one of the best players in the NBA.

San Antonio is probably not competing for a championship this season, but that wasn't all that mattered for Paul when making his free agency decision. He saw the talent within its roster, and wants to be a catalyst for helping steer the direction of its future.

"Playing hard is a talent, but it's not enough," Paul explained, "so this team here already showed the ability to play hard and compete night in and night out, but now we got to figure out how to translate that to wins."

Whether it be through helping Wembanyama balance expectations coming into year two or be a mentor for Castle in the backcourt, Paul will be an important player for the Spurs — even if it's for just one season.

Sep 30, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs point guard Chris Paul (3) speaks to the media during the team's Media Day at Victory Capital Performance Center. / Matt Guzman-San Antonio Spurs On SI

This will mark Paul's 20th season in the NBA, a milestone that many players don't have the longevity for. He has a family and a life outside of basketball, but still, his love for basketball keeps him in the game. With that, he wouldn't choose a place where he didn't want to be.

"If I'm away from my family, then I want it to be meaningful," Paul said. "I want to play, I want to compete, so this was the best opportunity to do that."

As much as the decision made sense for Paul, it made just as much for San Antonio.