What would a ring do for the legacy of Chris Paul?
Chris Paul is one of the greatest point guards in NBA history. This cannot be disputed.
The "Point God" is a 12-time All-Star, an 11-time All-NBA performer, and a five-time NBA assists leader. The 37-year-old was great on both ends of the court as he was a six-time NBA steals leader and a nine-time All-NBA defender. Paul is also a member of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team.
He has all the awards and numbers young players dream of. However, he is still missing that elusive NBA ring.
The former Olympic gold medalist has only made it to the NBA Finals once (with Phoenix in 2021). With Kevin Durant now in Phoenix to help out, perhaps this is the year Chris Paul finally becomes a champion.
Chris Paul is third all-time in assists (11,475), fourth all-time in average assists-per-game (9.48), and he is third all-time in steals (2,540). He has scored more points than Stephen Curry, John Stockton, Bernard King, and Tracy McGrady.
The former Wake Forest star has all the numbers to support the claim that he is one of the greatest players in NBA history. A championship would complete his career.
Chris Paul doesn't want to be remembered like Dan Marino
On the other hand, he does not want to be known as someone who "couldn't win the big one." To use another sport as an analogy, Paul doesn't want to be the next Dan Marino. Marino is one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, but he could never win a Super Bowl.
Paul does not want to be Karl Malone, Vince Carter, or Patrick Ewing. These are just a few of the greatest basketball players of all-time who have not won an NBA Title.
A ring would take Paul out of the category of these players and take him into the category of Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, Gary Payton, and Jason Kidd. These were great point guards who won it all.
If Paul were to win a ring, it would make his career more productive then some of the best players to ever play the game simply because he was able to do something that they couldn't. Win it all.