It’s the first round of the NBA Playoffs without the Phoenix Suns, yet one of the most important players in the franchise’s history helped transform some of the best teams in the association into what they are today, including the team that defeated the Suns in the first round, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In his three years in Phoenix, Chris Paul helped the Suns reach new heights, leading them to the Finals for the first time in 28 years, getting them to at least the Western Conference Semifinals in three straight
seasons, along with running the show for the most successful regular season team in franchise history. Paul was a main reason the team became an attractive spot for Kevin Durant when he requested a trade from the Nets. Before his arrival, the Suns missed the playoffs 11 straight seasons.
His perfect shooting playoff game, 32-point Finals game, 41-point closeout game to get the team back to the Finals, and many other performances in his three years as a Sun will not be forgotten.
However, Paul didn’t just leave his mark in Phoenix in his final seasons of his career.
Before joining the Suns, the Point God helped in developing reigning Finals MVP Shai-Gilgeous Alexander into the lead wrecker he is today. Playing a season with Gilgeous-Alexander back in the 2019-2020 campaign, the scoring champion developed playing next to Paul, something he remains grateful for, even years later.
After he retired in February, Gilgeous-Alexander said that Paul was “special” for his career, setting the standard for how point guards should play. Alongside Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder All-Defensive Forward Lu Dort gives heavy praise to Paul for how he’s learned to guard NBA Superstars like James Harden.
In Paul’s last full season in the league, he joined the San Antonio Spurs to pair up with Victor Wembanyama. Amid a tumultuous and unfortunate year for the team, where NBA Legend Greg Popovich was able to coach just a handful of games before his coaching career was cut short due to a stroke, and Wembanyama’s season was ended early because of a blood clot, Paul was a stable force for the organization, playing in all 82 games for the team and leading them on and off the court.
During his time in San Antonio, Paul mentored Wembanyama, setting him up for lobs and open threes and paving the way for young guard Stephon Castle to become a two-way player for the Spurs. A year later, San Antonio is back in the playoffs, winning 60 games for the first time in nearly a decade, and is a heavy favorite to make the Western Conference Finals.
It’s very likely that either the Spurs or Thunder are hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy when the 2025-2026 season comes to a close. According to FanDuel, they’re the two favorites, and if the Thunder become the first back-to-back champs since the 2017-2018 Warriors, or the Spurs win their first ring in 12 years, a Suns legend will have helped them get there along the way.
