Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Chris Paul moved up to seventh place on the all-time steals list during Sunday night's game against the San Antonio Spurs.
Paul surpassed NBA Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler, and he is within 100 steals of Chicago Bulls legend and renowned defensive stalwart Scottie Pippen:
Congrats to @CP3 of the @okcthunder for moving up to 7th on the all-time STEALS list! #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/psEDEemtZK
— NBA (@NBA) February 24, 2020
Paul is not quite the defensive whiz he once was with the Charlotte Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers. He previously led the league in steals six different times but entered Sunday night's game averaging 1.5 pilfers per game.
Still, Paul harasses opposing ball handlers and makes life incredibly difficult, even as he has aged and lost a step on the defensive end of the floor.
This season has been a revelation for Paul, and quite the whirlwind at that.
There were no guarantees the Thunder would even keep Paul after acquiring him from the Houston Rockets, in part because of his massive contract.
Ultimately, however, the Thunder elected to retain Paul with the hopes he could help nurture the development of young players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Still, the idea was the Thunder were entering the 2019-20 season in the first real phase of a rebuild.
Instead, Paul's excellent play has helped the Thunder solidify their playoff position.
Paul entered Sunday's game averaging 17.6 points, 6.6 assists and 5.0 rebounds while shooting nearly 37 percent from beyond the arc. Paul also made his first All-Star team since 2016.
He and Gilgeous-Alexander have emerged as one of the better backcourt duos in the entire NBA, and each have been among the best clutch players in the league.
Paul's career might be winding down, but he continues to climb the leaderboards as he hopes to prove the Thunder are for real in the Western Conference.
Follow Us
Subscribe