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Michael C. Wright, ESPN Staff Writer
SAN ANTONIO — Chris Paul glanced up as a rookie in a game at Utah and read the words: “John Stockton, all-time steals and assists leader.”
“I’m gonna catch him,” he thought back then, only to realize later, “that was a lie.”
Still, nearly two decades later, Paul remains on the chase after surpassing Jason Kidd on Sunday with career assist No. 12,092 to move into second place behind Stockton in career assists during San Antonio’s 121-116 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Paul reached the milestone with his third assist of the night, directed Victor Wembanyama’s way with 7:06 left in the first half for a 25-foot 3-pointer.
Perhaps the most important assist came with 37 ticks left, when Wembanyama knocked down the go-ahead 3-pointer near the top of the key off a Paul pass, before ending the night with a game-high 25 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks.
“Vic had been out a few games,” Paul said. “He came back just in time. It’s been really cool to be a part of his journey. The guys, they gave me a memorable gift. Not only a win, but a ball and a big picture with all the teams I’ve played with, but more so all the guys I’ve assisted in my career. I definitely wasn’t expecting that.”
Paul finished with 11 points and 13 assists, which increased his career total to 12,099 assists.
Paul also became the second player in league history to log 600 10-assist games, joining Stockton, who tallied 863 such games over his Hall of Fame career.
“It’s an amazing accomplishment,” Spurs interim coach Mitch Johnson said. “It’s a privilege to be able to see it up close and personal. We are witnessing greatness. A lot of us have competed against him. We’ve all watched him. And to be able to experience it firsthand is a privilege. He’s still doing it at a high level. We are grateful of that. He deserves all the praise and attention that comes with that because it’s a hell of an honor.”
Paul, 39, accomplished the feat on the night Wembanyama returned to the lineup after a three-game absence because of back soreness. San Antonio called for a timeout with 6:46 left in the first half, and the game was stopped briefly to commemorate Paul’s milestone with a short video tribute on the scoreboard at Frost Bank Center.
Celebrating history 🎉 pic.twitter.com/Z0tmkxYWvZ
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) December 9, 2024
Wembanyama admitted he wanted to play a role in something so historic.
“I got to be on this one,” he said. “Just the celebration, it was the best. I’m very, very proud of him. He’s just incredible how he doesn’t just do things halfway. He’s never just on the court just to be on the court. He’s trying to win, trying to find solutions. It’s a trait you find in all these players, those greats that stick around for years and years.”
After a 13-assist performance on Friday against Sacramento — which included six dimes in the first quarter alone — Paul didn’t deliver his first assist against the Pelicans until the 9:40 mark of the second quarter, hitting Keldon Johnson for a 6-foot jumper. With 8:02 remaining in the first half, Paul made an assist to veteran Harrison Barnes in the corner for a 3-pointer.
“He’s resilient. That’s the word for him,” teammate Julian Champagnie said. “He figures it out.”
The same might be said of San Antonio, collectively, considering four players left the floor for the locker room due to injuries in Wembanyama (back), Zach Collins (back), Stephon Castle (shoulder) and Keldon Johnson (left calf) and the Spurs still managed to pull out a close win. Wembanyama and Castle returned to action in the second half, but the Spurs declared Collins and Johnson out for the remainder of the game.
As for Paul, his assists have now gone to 173 different recipients over the course of his 20-year career.
“Incredible to see what he’s still doing,” said Pelicans coach Willie Green, who spent one year as a teammate of Paul’s with the New Orleans Hornets and two more with him with the LA Clippers. “His mind is still working like he’s processing the game. He’s working with these guys in practice, and you can see the team’s growth since he’s gotten here.”
Paul, meanwhile, briefly looked back on his career that started in New Orleans, and admitted reaching the assists milestone against that franchise was more meaningful given his NBA beginnings. The veteran also joked about what it meant to finally pass Kidd.
“He got his 100th triple-double against me,” Paul said. “[The milestone] means I have played a long time. But J. Kidd did, too, and that’s what I appreciate. I don’t think people realize the longer you play in this league, the longer you pay attention to the guys who had longevity. So, [I’m] definitely grateful to still be here.”
Source: www.espn.com