LeBron James Sends Powerful Tribute to Chris Paul After Retirement News
LeBron James wasted little time reacting to Chris Paul’s retirement decision, posting a heartfelt Instagram story calling his longtime friend the “POINT GOD.” Hours after Paul announced that this season with the Los Angeles Clippers will be his last in the NBA, James shared a photo of Paul biting his Olympic gold medal and wrote, “POINT GOD!!! Been a helluva ride,” along with a saluting emoji.
The post is one of the first high-profile player tributes to Paul, who confirmed on social media that his 21st NBA season will be his final one.
Social media users also went wild with the news.
LeBron James\’ Instagram
LeBron James Calls Chris Paul the ‘Point God’ on Instagram
James’ story, posted from his @kingjames account, features Paul in Team USA gear proudly biting his gold medal, with the bold caption across the top of the image. The phrase “POINT GOD” has followed Paul for years as a nod to his blend of elite playmaking, midrange scoring and clutch decision-making.
By pairing that label with “Been a helluva ride,” James framed Paul’s retirement as the end of an era for one of the best point guards ever. It reads like both a salute to what Paul has already done and a recognition that his next chapter starts after this final Clippers season wraps up.
The image choice also matters. Instead of a jersey from New Orleans, Los Angeles or Phoenix, James highlighted Paul on the international stage, where the two shared the floor for Team USA and won gold together. It’s a reminder that their story stretches beyond the NBA to the global game.
Inside the Friendship Between LeBron James and Chris Paul
James and Paul have been close for nearly two decades, from early battles as young stars to their well-known “banana boat” vacations with Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony. They’ve shared All-Star locker rooms, Olympic runs and deep playoff pushes while largely avoiding facing each other in a Finals series.
Their careers have run in parallel in a lot of ways. James became the face of the league as a do-everything forward, while Paul became the prototypical floor general, controlling pace and running offenses in New Orleans, with the Clippers’ “Lob City” era, in Houston, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Golden State and San Antonio before returning to Los Angeles.
So when Paul finally confirmed that this season will be his last, it felt inevitable that James would be one of the first superstars to publicly acknowledge it. His short, punchy message mirrors how players often talk to each other behind the scenes: few words, but ones that carry a lot of weight.
Chris Paul’s Retirement Cements His Hall of Fame Legacy
Paul’s decision to retire after his 21st season comes with a resume that already screams Hall of Fame. He is a 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, nine-time All-Defense honoree, 2006 Rookie of the Year and a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
He has orchestrated contenders in multiple eras and cities, helping transform the Clippers into a serious playoff franchise and later guiding the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals. Even without a championship ring, he’s widely viewed as one of the best point guards in league history, a sentiment echoed by fans and players in the wake of his announcement.
James putting the “POINT GOD” stamp on Paul’s retirement only reinforces that status. As Paul plays out his final season with the Clippers, tributes like LeBron’s will keep rolling in, but the message from one all-time great to another is already clear: the ride was worthy of legend.
Lions’ Jameson Williams apologized to ‘everybody’ for TD penalty
Jameson Williams took a 40-yard crossing route to the house, giving the Detroit Lions their only touchdown in last week’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Then he jumped onto and hugged the goal post, drawing a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct that pushed the extra point back 15 yards. Instead of a 33-yarder for kicker Jake Bates, it became a 48-yarder. Bates missed to the right, keeping the game tied.
Williams said this week he didn’t know his celebration would result in a flag, and that he’s not concerned about his celebrations becoming an issue because “I feel like I only got it (a penalty) one time a year. It’s something I can control, for sure.”
“I really ain’t know it was a penalty until I sat down on the bench I saw the field-goal team going out. I apologized to Jake, I apologized to (punter and holder) Jack (Fox), I apologized to Coach (Dan Campbell), everybody. … They told me it wasn’t my fault, but I felt like it was my fault in the moment. We’ve just got to make plays and be smarter.”
Asked what he said to Williams, Campbell said he told the receiver, “Hell of a play. Don’t do that again.”
Receivers coach Scottie Montgomery was upset with Williams immediately after the play.
“I think it’s very important that we control our emotions,” Montgomery said Friday. “When he came off the field, I did not control my emotions. … I think he understands what he did. I think Coach (Campbell) handled it as well as it possibly could be handled. I think he (Williams understands the gravity of that moment. It’s a teaching lesson, not just for him, but for other people in the room and other people in our building.”
Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp said it’s on his unit to make the kick, regardless of distance.
“If you’re a specialist or in my job, I mean it doesn’t matter. They say, ‘Field goal,’ then we go out there and kick a field goal. … So, I don’t get too caught up in the, ‘Oh, I can’t believe that happened to us.’ I mean, our job is to go out there and make the kick,” Fipp said. “If we go out there and make the kick, then we’re not even worried about it.”
