Chris Paul Becomes First Player to Play All 82 Games in 20th Season

The San Antonio Spurs’ season looked promising until Victor Wembanyama was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder after playing 46 games. Wembanyama had missed just five of the Spurs’ 51 games to that point, and the Spurs stood at 23-28 with an outside shot of the postseason. Wemby went on to miss the rest of the season.

Chris Paul was brought to San Antonio to mentor Wembanyama and a puppy-young group that includes potential Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle (20 years old, 14.7 points per game) and Jeremy Sochan (21 years old, 11.4 points per game). Guard Devin Vassell will be 25 in August and averaged 16.3 points per game. The Spurs even traded for Sacramento Kings’ star guard De’Aaron Fox in February, but he played just 17 games before needing surgery on a torn tendon in his finger. Fox and Wembanyama played just six games together. 

And so there was Paul, surrounded by a youth movement that oozes potential. No stars beside him. Post Wemby, the Spurs went 11-20. 

In an era where guys may sit out if their team is not playing up to standard, and where teams blatantly tank for a higher draft pick, Chris Paul at the age of 39 played all 82 games. In accomplishing the feat, he became the first player in NBA history to play all 82 games in their 20th season. 

What makes the feat for the future Hall-of-Famer more impressive is that he only played 82 games one another time in his career - in the 2014-15 season when he was 29 years of age. Exactly 10 years ago. 

Paul averaged 8.8 points and 7.4 assists this season for a 34-win team. Sixteen times, he posted 10 or more assists in a game, with a season-high 14 against the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 29. In three consecutive games from November 11-15, he put up 11 assists, and on October 31 came close to his 22nd career triple-double with 19 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds in an 18-point win against the Utah Jazz. 

His all-star days are over and he is in the final one or two seasons of his Hall-of-Fame career, but playing all 82 in your 20th season is another accomplishment that Chris Paul can be proud of.