Chris Paul isn’t going to play in the NBA forever.
No one is (I don’t think). All players have a shelf life; every single one of them. Most play until they can’t play anymore. Some walk away on top, after winning a title and/or while they still have something left. During an “HBO Real Sports” interview with Mary Carillo (via Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated), Paul admitted that he would likely fall under the latter category by retiring a tad early:
I love to play basketball more than anybody. I’m serious, nobody loves to play basketball more than I do. But I could honestly see myself maybe stopping a little early or premature just because I hate to miss anything with my kids. I would hate for my kids to recall those special moments in their life, and I wasn’t there.
Can’t fault the guy for his logic there. Lives of NBA players are often painted with a broad brush. They’re perfect. Amazing. They don’t have care in the world. Their money trumps everything.
Beneath all the fame and fortune, however, there are regular people, leading “regular” lives. Paul has more Twitter followers than you and has probably signed more autographs than you too, but he’s still a parent. And parents tend to love their kids. I should know. My mom was one of the most overwhelming madres in the world. She hated missing out things, such as concerts, basketball games and street fighting (kidding). Had she been given the option to retire early, I’m sure she would’ve taken it.
Don’t go fretting Paul’s departure just yet, though. He’s only 28, an age where were not yet thinking about the end of a player’s career. Steve Nash is almost 40. Health permitting, Paul could play for another 10-plus years if he wanted to. Even if we were to cut that in half as the result of his latest comments, he’d still have five or six years left in the tank. That’s a long time.
Walking away from the game is easier said than done, of course. Paul himself admits that he loves his job, so retirement is a decision he’ll likely grapple with when the time comes. Truthfully, there’s also no telling when that time will be. Five years from now? Six? Seven? More?
Paul speaks of stepping aside early, but he could play on. His family could urge him to keep playing if he wants to or he could find that he can juggle both his career and family life longer than expected. Then there’s always his pursuit of a championship. Routinely recognized as an MVP candidate and the best point guard in the NBA, Paul doesn’t have a title to his name. His playoff success has been middling at best. Through eight years, he’s never even made it to a Conference Finals.
Winning a title could make his decision easier. Players always find closure in winning. If Tim Duncan had won a championship last year, I bet he would’ve retired. Manu Ginobili, too. Just like David Robinson did—he walked away on top (I apologize for the numerous Spurs references).
Basically, this is all talk on Paul’s part. Not in a bad way, either. We know where his priorities lie at least—at home. With his family. I can respect that; we should all respect that.
No matter how many titles he does or doesn’t win, or how many years he does or doesn’t ultimately play.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
