Chris Paul shares honest feelings on limited opportunities under Gregg Popovich after joining the Spurs: "Life is lifing"

Chris Paul joined the San Antonio Spurs in the 2024 offseason on a one-year, $10.46 million deal. A big factor in Paul’s decision was the opportunity to play alongside young superstar Victor Wembanyama and one of the winningest coaches of all time, Gregg Popovich.

However, the season has not gone as planned, as Popovich has been sidelined for the rest of the season as he recovers from a stroke suffered in November 2024, shortly after the NBA season began. Wembanyama has also been ruled out for the remainder of the season due to a blood clot

On Friday, Chris Paul was asked about not getting the opportunity to play for Popovich as much as he had hoped when he signed with San Antonio.

"It's tough, but as people always say, 'life is lifing,'" Paul said. "Things happen that are bigger than the game. My relationship with Pop goes way beyond whether or not he gets a chance to coach me. Just getting the chance to see him the other day was special."

Paul and the Spurs, coached in the interim by Mitch Johnson, currently sit as the No. 12 seed in the Western Conference with a 26-34 record, trailing the final play-in spot by 4.5 games.

Even after the addition of star guard De'Aaron Fox, the Spurs are enduring what feels like a lost season due to the extended absences of Wembanyama and Popovich. The team will look to retool this offseason and return stronger next year. Whether Paul will be part of that team remains to be seen.

Chris Paul passes Moses Malone for 18th all-time in total games played

Chris Paul is currently playing in his 20th season in the NBA, a milestone only LA Lakers star LeBron James has surpassed among active players. Both players have continued to perform at a high level this year.

Last Saturday, Paul played in his 1,330th career game, passing Moses Malone for 18th place on the NBA’s all-time games played list. Since then, he has appeared in two more games, bringing his total to 1,332 — just three games shy of tying Gary Payton for 17th all-time:

With 22 games remaining in the season, Paul has the chance to move up the rankings. If he plays in at least 15 more games, he will surpass Kobe Bryant for 15th place on the all-time list.

Chris Paul will be a free agent this summer. If he chooses to continue playing, he could potentially break into the top 10 in all-time games played.