NBA History: Ranking the 15 greatest point guards of all time

15 greatest point guards in NBA History — No. 4: Chris Paul

As of the time of this writing, Chris Paul is 37 years old and entering his 18th season in the NBA. Last year he made his 11th All-NBA team, tied for 13th all-time; one more and he will be tied for seventh. Only four players have made an All-NBA team at a later age, and they were all towering giants: Kareem, LeBron, Karl Malone and Tim Duncan. Paul is the shortest player to make an All-NBA team at the age of 33 or later (not counting “Slater Martin” in 1959) and he has done so three times now.

The longevity of Paul is remarkable, and he has taken care of his body and honed his craft so precisely that he can thrive even at his age and with his physical limitations. Paul hasn’t won a championship, although he has played on a number of teams that could have. There are no other knocks on his career (11 All-NBA selections, 12 All-Star appearances and an All-Star MVP award).

Five times he led the league in assists, and six times he led in steals. His career offensive rating is third all-time, and he also made nine All-Defense teams. He can score, pass, defend and at the same time cajole opponents and refs into making mistakes in his favor. He understands the game of basketball at a level only a small handful can claim to match.

Paul never won an MVP, but he finished top-5 five times and top-10 ten times. He has been somewhere between the third and 18th-best player in the league for 15 years, and he is still humming along. All hail CP3.