Chris Paul gets a standing ovation in Charlotte after announcing his retirement

How the NBA world reacts The Los Angeles Clippers are guarding Chris Paul’s retirement announcement scheduled for the end of the 2025-26 season, he received a standing ovation as he faced the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday. Paul, who announced he will retire at the end of this season, received a standing ovation at the Spectrum Center.

When Pavle logged into the game for the first time near the end of the first quarter, fans in the crowd cheered, perhaps realizing it was likely the last time they would see the NBA’s elite point guards of his era.

In the midst of the Clippers’ first and only visit to Charlotte, Hornets fans in the stands immediately realized the magnitude of Paul’s entrance into the game, as the future Hall of Fame guard announced his retirement hours before tip-off. Chris Paul checked in to a standing ovation before finishing the first half with three points, three assists and one rebound in 11 minutes.

Paul and the Clippers, who have dropped nine of their last 10 games, are looking for their fifth win of the season. Paul struggled during his first 10 games back in Los Angeles. He is averaging 2.5 points on 27.3% shooting, 3.3 assists and 1.0 steals in 13.7 minutes per game, which is a far cry from the numbers he put up last season with the San Antonio Spurs.

However, Paul is not replicating the starting job he had with the Spurs, where he averaged 8.8 points, 7.4 assists and 1.3 steals in 28.0 minutes a night. However, this season, his 21st NBA season will be Pola’s last.

Chris Paul of the Clippers confirms that the 2025-26 season will be his final season

Clippers veteran Chris Paul hinted at his retirement announcement on social media before it becomes official on Saturday as the future Hall of Fame guard will bow out of his 21-year NBA career at the end of 2025-26.

A future first-ballot Hall of Famer, Paul is a 12-time All-Star and nine-time All-Defensive linebacker. He’s also a five-time assists champion, six-time steals champion and 2013 MVP, as Paul has more than enough accolades to head to Springfield, Massachusetts once he’s eligible.

Meanwhile, Paul’s farewell tour continues, with a stop in Cleveland to face the Cavs for the second night of back-to-back games on Sunday.