Retirement is getting closer and closer for 39-year-old Chris Paul, but he may still be staying around the game for a very long time to come.
In an interview this week with Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News, the new San Antonio Spurs guard Paul opened up about what the future might hold for him after he retires as a player. Most notably, Paul said that he was open to coaching, something he once said that he would never do.
“I was talking to my wife today because I have always said I would never coach,” said Paul. “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.”
Paul also said in the interview that he was open to getting into NBA ownership after retiring too. You can read the full interview here.
The 12-time All-Star Paul is about to enter his 20th season in the NBA and only signed a one-year deal with the Spurs this past summer. Though plenty have suggested that playing with young Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama could prolong Paul’s career, it still appears that Paul is pretty close to the end as a player.
Paul is perhaps the greatest pure point guard of the 21st century, and point guard is a position that is often seen as a natural bridge into coaching. Many current NBA head coaches (Jason Kidd, Steve Kerr, Tyronn Lue, Doc Rivers, Chauncey Billups, etc.) used to be point guards themselves. While Paul as a head coach would certainly be an interesting sight, for now, the task at hand is to help the rebuilding Spurs take the next step (which could also help Paul cash in on an unusual incentive in his contract).
