Chris Paul’s legacy hit, what lies ahead, and the beginning of the end
Chris Paul and another disappointing end to an outstanding season.
Two wins. That’s what ultimately stood in the way – in addition to multiple monster performances from Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks – of Chris Paul and his first NBA Championship, one that would likely have cemented his legacy as one of the all-time greats.
Instead, at 36, Paul is looking at basketball mortality straight in the eye and is now in danger of being remembered most for his inability to win at the highest level, joining the likes of Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, and others as greats that never managed to secure the exclamation point to an otherwise outstanding career.
Paul is not retiring – he told Marc Spears that much shortly after their Game 6 loss Tuesday night – but he might’ve just seen his best chance at a title slip through his fingers.
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What’s next for Chris Paul?
It’s tough to predict what exactly lies ahead for Paul. He has one year left on his contract with the Phoenix Suns but could opt to test free agency one last time before he retires (in hopes of landing one more big payday).
At this point, who knows what Paul is thinking or what he will end up doing during the offseason. Will he try to give this one more shot with the Suns, banking on the continued development of Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton? Or perhaps he will opt out of the final year of his contract in an attempt to sign a discounted deal with a team that could give him an even better shot at winning a title next season?
That will ultimately depend on how much he truly values that elusive NBA Championship. If he wanted, Paul could devote the final remaining years of his career to finally getting that Larry O’Brien trophy.
Perhaps he could try to win one with his buddy, LeBron James, and the Los Angeles Lakers? Or maybe there’s another team out there that he believes is closer to winning a title, perhaps the Philadelphia 76ers or LA Clippers.
Either way, you have to feel for Paul after falling short, once again, before claiming the NBA’s ultimate prize. And at this point in his career, there’s really no guarantee that he’s going to get another crack at it.
Next. The Milwaukee Bucks finally scaled the mountain. dark
This very well may have been his best shot at winning a championship. The ball is in his court now, however. What’s his next move?