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Many NBA players don't have a plan when facing their pending retirement. Some fade away in order to enjoy the rest of their lives, while others remain involved in the game of basketball. Chris Paul is on the verge of beginning his first season with the San Antonio Spurs, but this will be Year 20 for Paul in the NBA. The 39-year-old guard is nearing the end of the line on what has been a Hall of Fame career, with retirement right around the corner.
What the future holds for Paul is unknown. He is involved in AAU basketball as well as charity work off the court with his Chris Paul Family Foundation. Paul has always been involved in the game of basketball, which is why the idea of remaining involved with the NBA is a very real possibility for the 12-time All-Star when he is finally ready to retire.
Chris Paul outlines future plans after retirement
After serving as the president of the National Basketball Players Association for years, Paul now has a greater appreciation for the behind-the-scenes work in the league, which could lead him to NBA ownership and coaching roles.
“Yeah, you know it’s funny, I definitely want to be on the ownership side,” Paul told Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “I definitely want to be part of an organization because being the president of the union, I am probably the only guy who knows from being a player to ownership to the business side of it and all that. There is probably nobody else who has the lens and the views I have.”
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Should this be a path that Paul explores once he is ready to end his career, he would not be the first player to become involved with ownership. Michael Jordan was the first former player to become a majority owner in the NBA when he bought the Charlotte Bobcats franchise, and Shaquille O'Neal had bought partially ownership of the Sacramento Kings in 2013 before recently selling his stake in the team. LeBron James, one of Paul's best friends, has made his intentions of buying a franchise when he is ready to retire clear, and he wants to bring an expansion team to Las Vegas.
Aside from possibly becoming an owner in the NBA, Paul has also pointed out the idea of getting involved in coaching since he has years of experience playing with different organizations and players across the league.
“I was talking to my wife today because I have always said I would never coach,” Paul continued. “But just thinking about it, I don’t know. Trying to figure it out. My wife and friends are always telling me I have so much knowledge and love for the game that I could coach. But I also think about being a dad because I have missed so much of my kids’ lives. So, yeah, I don’t know.”
Fortunately for Paul, he still has time to make a decision on what his future is going to look like. Despite being 39 and not getting any younger, Paul has still performed at a high level and helped his team win.
While it appears he is taking a step back by joining the Spurs, a team that won only 22 games a season ago, Paul is ready to help Gregg Popovich develop what could turn into one of the better young teams in the league. After all, Victor Wembanyama is leading the charge for the Spurs, and he is only going to get better under Paul's guidance.
The Spurs are certainly trending in the right direction, and Paul is ready to do everything he can to help this organization grow. Whether or not this will be his final NBA season is yet to be determined.
