Chris Paul is no stranger to entering a new organization for the first time.

The 39-year-old has cemented his legacy as one of the NBA’s best point guards of all time, most notably playing for the New Orleans Hornets, LA Clippers and Houston Rockets. With each new goal Paul achieves, he brings with him the same expertise and skills that have made him a household name throughout the league.

With his playing career likely only lasting a few years at most, it might have been surprising that Paul chose the San Antonio Spurs – a team that finished last season at the bottom of the Western Conference with just 22 wins. All along he was striving for an illusory win in the NBA Finals, and now taking on a role on a young team trying to return to the playoffs seemed strange at first glance.

But for Paul, it was a match that made perfect sense.

“I didn’t just choose Spurs,” the veteran said at Spurs’ media day. “Spurs obviously chose me too.”

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San Antonio’s point guard position was in flux last year, leaving rookie Victor Wembanyama without a true playmaker in the pick-and-roll to help him get better looks. Even at his advanced age, Paul is still one of the smartest passers in the league, so he was a clear answer to the problem the Spurs were trying to solve.

The experience Paul brings is perhaps the most important aspect of the signing. The Spurs need veterans to step up in the playoffs and help develop their young core, and there are few players who can handle that as well as Paul. This is invaluable, especially for new recruit Stephon Castle.

This is not a new situation for Paul either. Just years ago, he was traded from the Rockets to the rebuilding Oklahoma City Thunder, where he made up for the losses of Paul George and Russell Westbrook, but he helped make the playoffs after almost every analyst predicted otherwise. He also helped develop Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has since become one of the best players in the NBA.

San Antonio probably isn’t contending for a championship this season, but that wasn’t the only factor in Paul’s free agency decision. He recognized the talent in his squad and wants to be a catalyst in determining the direction of its future.

“Playing hard is a talent, but it’s not enough,” Paul explained, “so this team here has already shown the ability to play hard and compete night in and night out, but now we have to figure out how to turn that into wins can implement.” “

Whether he’s helping Wembanyama balance expectations early in year two or acting as a mentor to Castle in the backcourt, Paul will be an important player for the Spurs – even if it’s just for a season.

This will be Paul’s 20th season in the NBA, a milestone that many players don’t have the life expectancy for. He has a family and a life outside of basketball, but his love for basketball still keeps him in the game. This would mean he wouldn’t choose a place he didn’t want to be.

“When I’m away from my family, I want it to be meaningful,” Paul said. “I want to play, I want to compete, so this was the best opportunity to do that.”

As much as the decision made sense for Paul, it also made sense for San Antonio.

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