With a free throw in the second quarter of today's Phoenix Suns-Los Angeles Lakers game, Chris Paul became the first player in NBA history to score 20,000 points and 10,000 assists. He made history and achieved this milestone moment under the gaze of thousands of people at Staples Center. Paul has a great chance of climbing further up the roster as he just signed a four-year contract with the Suns.
Before the game began, Paul trailed Antoine Jamison by 49 points, ranking 46th on the NBA's all-time scoring list. Trailing Mark Jackson with 49 assists, it ranks 4th on the NBA's all-time assists list. He played for 5 teams in his 17 seasons, completing incredible numbers. Here's how the number of points and assists is distributed across teams over time: 7,936 points and 4,228 assists during the New Orleans Hornets; 7,674 points and 4,023 assists during the Los Angeles Clippers; 1,930 assists during the Houston Rockets; 1,232 points and 472 assists during the Oklahoma Thunder; and 1,164 points and 632 assists during the Phoenix Suns (before today's game).
Paul is one of the greatest point guards in the history of the league, and he was recently selected as one of the NBA's 75th Anniversary 75 Players. The 36-year-old is one of 11 active players to receive the award, along with Iannis Antetokounmpo, Cameron Anthony, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, James Harden, LeBron James, Kawaii Leonard, Damian Lillard and Russell Westbrook.
It is worth mentioning that As one of Paul's banana boat brothers, LeBron James is also expected to achieve a personal record milestone this season. LeBron James has shown us his all-round approach to the court countless times in his long career, and in the new season he has the opportunity to join the "elite club" of 10,000 assists. He is currently eighth on the all-time assists list (9,696), and if all goes well, he will reach 10,000 assists in the 2021-2022 season. If achieved, LeBron James would be the seventh player in NBA history to have 10,000 assists.
Old Jan is the only player on the all-time assists list who is not a point guard. As a small forward, he was once named the King of Assists of the Season. With his current super age-defying competitive state, I believe he will continue to refresh his assist data and continue to rush forward in this list. Paul, who also did not see the decline of competitive skills, will also move to a higher position in the assists list.
In terms of scoring, Jan is 3,000 points away from surpassing Karim Abdul-Jabbar to become the highest-scoring player in NBA history. Currently (prior to this game against the Suns), Jan Sr. ranks third on the NBA's all-time scoring list with a total of 35,401 points, behind Karl Malone's 36,928 and Abdul-Jabbar's 38,387. Shaquille O'Neal said not long ago that he believes when LeBron James surpasses Abdul-Jabbar in scoring, he will cement his position as the greatest player in NBA history.