Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul turned 37-years old on the day of Game 3 of the series against the Dallas Mavericks, and the aging felt real. The Suns lost four of the final five games of the series to follow up its Western Conference title with an early exit and Paul didn't play well in any of them.
The reality with a player of Paul's age is that each season could be his last. The NBA is a physically demanding league. It was only natural that reporters asked the 12-time All Star about his future with the Suns.
āWe'll be right back next year, I'll tell you that much,ā he told reporters following Sunday's 123-90 Game 7 loss. āI'm not retiring tomorrow, thank god. Hopefully I'm healthy and come back, keep playing.ā
"They said that last year. They probably said it back in '08. Every time you lose, they're gonna say it's your best chanceā¦but we'll be back next year. I ain't retiring tomorrow, thank God."
Chris Paul on whether this was his best shot at a title špic.twitter.com/MOnEoRbL6t
ā ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) May 16, 2022
Paul refuted questions about his health to reporters, but reports came out after the game saying that Paul walked out of the Footprint Center with a limp. Paul refused to comment at the time.
Suns point guard Chris Paul limped out of the arena with a very slow walk. @andscape learned that Paul had a left quad injury. When asked about his quad injury, Paul declined comment.
ā Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) May 16, 2022
With an uncertain off-season ahead of the Suns after a disappointing playoff run, it's a fair question to ask whether this was Paul's best shot at a title. Paul was confident in his assertion that he didn't waste his last chance.
āThey said that last year. Probably said it in '08,ā he said. Paul's New Orleans Hornets fell to the San Antonio Spurs in seven games in the 2008 Western Conference Semifinals. āYou play long enough and you don't win, every time you lose they're going to say it was your last chance.ā
Follow Us
Subscribe