Chris Paul’s move to the Spurs is a much bigger statement for the NBA than one might think

One of the biggest developments of the San Antonio Spurs’ offseason occurred Sunday night when it was announced that Chris Paul would sign a one-year, $11 million deal to join the Spurs after being released by the Warriors.

The Spurs were looking for a higher-level ball handler to optimize their strategy of feeding Victor Wembanyama, and they definitely found the right man for the job. Chris Paul is widely regarded as one of the best point guards, playmakers and assist takers of all time. Paul holds the third-most assists in NBA history with 11,894 over the course of his career.

Getting CP3 as a teammate and working with an incredible talent like Wembanyama is nothing short of a dream scenario even at this stage of Paul’s career. He may be 39 years old and one of the oldest players in the association, but Chris still possesses some of the best ball skills of any player in the league and his intellectual understanding of basketball is second to none.

Paul makes this unexpected move after a down year with Golden State that made it clear he’s not quite the player he once was. Now he can bring his 19 years of professional experience along with one of the league’s most exciting young talents with true All-NBA potential. The way Chris will improve Wemby’s game isn’t even the most important aspect of this signing, though.

Since he is in the final stages of his career and has yet to win an NBA title, it would have been easy for Chris Paul to sign with a team like the Celtics just to chase the ring. He could have had a comfortable year in a place like Boston while also getting a good chance at his first championship ring.

But Paul, who truly loves basketball, chose to take on a mentoring role with the Spurs rather than sign with a rival. We know San Antonio will be far from winning a title this coming season, so Chris essentially gave up the opportunity to cut corners on the road to a championship and instead chose the nobler path.

Now CP3 has the opportunity to impart valuable knowledge and lessons to Victor that may not win the Spurs a championship next season, but will likely have a lasting impact on him for years to come. It’s a move that basketball purists will be thrilled about.

From here, there’s a chance that Paul’s move will inspire other veterans to do the same in the future. The more older players are willing to stick around just to help young rising stars in the NBA, the better off this league will be.