Paul only player to help 4 teams set season records for wins
Chris Paul has even further validation he makes players and teams better after Phoenix’s 121-110 win Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Lakers at Footprint Center.
The Suns 12-time All-Star is now the only player in NBA history to be part of four teams to set a franchise record for victories in a single season.
2007-08 New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans – 56-26.
2013-14 Los Angeles Clippers – 57-25. 2017-18 Houston Rockets – 65-17. 2021-22 Phoenix Suns – 63-16.
“It’s all good and well. It would be nice to put a championship with all that," Paul said. "That’s the goal, that’s what we’re working towards. I don’t take that lightly. though, because it’s a lot of work, it’s a lot of hard work that goes into year-in and year-out playing and competing. At the end of the day, you want to have a chance. You at least want to have a chance, and I’m grateful to be here with this group."
Anthony Johnson was part of three different NBA teams to establish franchise record for wins.
2001-02 New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets – 52-20. 2003-04 Indiana Pacers – 61-21. 2006-07 Dallas Mavericks – 67-15. Johnson didn't finish the 2006-07 season with Dallas as the Mavericks traded him to Atlanta on February 22, 2007.
Now Paul stands alone as the only player to achieve that feat with four teams.
"It speaks his greatness, it speaks to his longevity, but his love for the game and the work that he's put and the support system that he has," Suns coach Monty Williams said after Tuesday's win. "I was walking off the floor and there was C.J. (Paul's brother). Every step of the way, I've seen C.J."
The 12-time All-Star has played for five teams in his NBA career with the fifth being the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2019-20 season. He led the Thunder to a 44-38 record and the playoffs in the NBAshortened season due to COVID-19.
“The one thing I saw is I really watched him incredibly and drastically improve Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was coming into his second year,” said Bulls coach Billy Donovan, who coached Paul that 2019-20 season.
Gilgeous-Alexander went from averaging 10.8 points as a rookie with the Los Angeles Clippers to 19.0 his second NBA season playing alongside Paul in OKC.
“Shai and Chris got very, very close and the impact that he had on him mentally in terms of how games were played was incredible.”
In his 17th NBA season, Paul has only missed the playoffs three times with two of those coming in his first and second NBA seasons in New Orleans.
The third time was in the 2009-10 season in New Orleans when Paul only played 45 games.
Multiple injuries cost him 37 games that season as he missed 25 in a row after knee surgery.
That’s the lowest number of games he’s played in a single season in his NBA career.