Chris Paul explains why he moved to Spurs rather than a title contender

A 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA player and a member of the league’s 75th Anniversary Team, Chris Paul is only missing one thing from his Hall of Fame resume – a championship ring.

But after the Golden State Warriors released him in June, Chris Paul chose to join the San Antonio Spurs – who are fresh off a 22-win season – rather than a team expected to contend for a championship.

Paul wants to play. And he probably wants to play more than last season.

“I love nothing more than the opportunity to play, contribute and play basketball,” Paul said Tuesday when he was officially introduced by the Spurs. “My family is everything. My wife is here, my kids are back in LA and that’s where they’ll be during the season. And I love basketball so much that I could be close to home, but if I’m not playing, I’m not happy.”

Paul was signed by the Warriors last summer in what was perhaps the most surprising move of this offseason considering he was a longtime nemesis of the Golden State dynasty. He joined Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green in a bid to reach the championship, but the Warriors fell far short of that goal, finishing 10th in the Western Conference and missing the postseason entirely, losing in the play-in tournament.

Entering the 2023-24 season, Paul has started every NBA game since being signed by the New Orleans Hornets in 2005. With the Warriors, however, he accepted a role on the bench and played his least amount of minutes per game, 26.4, averaging 9.2 points – also a career low – as well as 6.8 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game.

But now Paul has the chance to compete again in San Antonio. And he will do so alongside 20-year-old prodigy Victor Wembanyama, the reigning Rookie of the Year who is considered the brightest young star in basketball.

“There’s probably no player in the league that everyone talks about after the game like (Wembanyama),” Paul said. “Because everyone has to adjust to things. Harrison (Barnes) and I were on our flight yesterday and talked about how cool it will be to have the chance to appreciate him day in and day out at this point in our careers.”