Can Chris Paul catch John Stockton as the all-time NBA assist leader?

Two decades after his debut in the NBA, Chris Paul has become second in the all-time NBA assists list, finally surpassing legend Jason Kidd on Sunday with his No. 12,092 assist. Now the Spurs star is only tracing Jazz icon John Stockton, who leads the league with 15,806 to his name. 

If CP3 was to reach the Hall of Famer’s incredible milestone at the top of the ladder, he would need to continue playing professional basketball well into his 40s. If he continued to produce assists at this pace, he would need at least five more seasons to reach Stockton, something that seems unlikely considering he’s already 39-years of age.

The historic dime happened last night during the Point God’s third assist of the 121-116 win against New Orleans, when he directed the ball into teammate Victor Wembanyama’s hands, who dropped in a 25-foot three-pointer. “Vic had been out a few games,” Chris said postgame. “He came back just in time.”

Chris Paul has to Average 8 assists for 8 seasons to pass John Stockton. Stop underrating Stockton. pic.twitter.com/xvYIy5YtON

— 𝓙𝓸𝓼𝓱𝔂 (@JoshlikesJazz) November 4, 2021

As for the 39-year-old, he finished the contest with 11 points and 13 assists, which added to his career tally to 12,099 assists. The veteran player also become the second player in NBA history to accumulate 600 10-assist performances, still behind Stockton’s 863.

“It’s an amazing accomplishment,” shared his interim coach Mitch Johnson. “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.”

As for Wemby, who has been the recipient of so many of his dimes this season, admitted to feeling proud to have been a part of this historic moment. “I got to be on this one. 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,” the French star expressed.

Current and former teammates have showed CP3 some love after he reached his NBA-assists milestone this past weekend

Once the contest was over, even his rivals addressed Chris’ milestone, as his incredible 12,099 assists have been handed out to 173 different teammates. Pelicans coach Willie Green delivered praise to his former teammate, as they’ve shared the same jersey with the New Orleans Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers.

“Incredible to see what he’s still doing,” the tactician said once the match had ended in San Antonio. “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.”

After the match, Paul was celebrated in the locker room and was gifted a basketball and a plaque with the names of each player he’s assisted. “I can’t say nothing but thank you. Seriously, seriously man. I know I’m hard to deal with a lot of times. I swear man, I’m so grateful,” he said afterwards.

The guard then added: “To be away from my family, y’all became my family. And so I know I’m a lot to deal with on the court, man, but I just love to hoop. And I hope that y’all get this opportunity to play as long as I have, so thank y’all so much.”