NBA legend deserves a hero's welcome from Rockets fans as he prepares for retirement

Chris Paul is one of the best players ever to put on a Houston Rockets uniform. Now, fans around the NBA will be saying goodbye to the Point God.

Paul has announced his retirement. That comes as no surprise. He's averaging 2.5 points and 3.7 assists per game in 2025-26. In the business, that's what we call "Not Chris Paul" numbers.

It's time for Paul to go. So, it's also time to recall what he accomplished in the NBA.

Here at SpaceCityScoop, let's focus on what he did with the Rockets.

Rockets were dominant with Chris Paul

Paul's time in Houston was brief, but make no mistake: He made the most of it. His best season in Space City was the first. Paul averaged 18.6 points and 7.9 assists per game.

Those numbers are low by Paul's standards. There's a reason for that. During his time in New Orleans and Los Angeles, Paul was typically a sole ball-handler. In Houston, he joined James Harden to form the most potent dual-engine model in the NBA. Paul's 7.1 Box Plus/Minus (BPM) indicated that he was still a superstar.

So did the Rockets' performance. They advanced to the Western Conference Finals after winning a league-best 65 games.

...You know what's coming next.

Paul's torn hamstring came at the worst time. The Rockets were up 3-2 against the world-beating Warriors. Without Paul, they had no chance of toppling the most talented team in the NBA.

The next year, Paul appeared to have lost a step. The Rockets traded him after a disappointing season. It turned out that Paul's downturn in production was a blip, and the trade was deeply regrettable.

Rockets fans should not hold that against Paul.

Paul's Rockets tenure was short but sweet

As a fan of an NBA team, you have to know how difficult it is to win a title.

Even sniffing championship glory counts for something.

That's what the Chris Paul / James Harden Rockets gave their fans. They gave them the feeling that they might win an NBA title. That might sound trite, but it's more than plenty of NBA fanbases have been able to experience in decades.

It didn't go according to plan, but Rockets fans should see the forest for the trees. Paul is an all-time great Rocket. When the Clippers come to town, he should be shown respect accordingly. It will be their last chance to say goodbye:

Until Paul is inevitably an NBA head coach.