October 23, (THEWILL) – Chris Paul of the Phoenix Suns made National Basketball Association (NBA) history in Los Angeles on Friday night.
Paul became the first player in NBA history to reach 20,000 points and 10,000 assists with a free throw he made in the second quarter of their 115-105 win over the Lakers at the Staples Center.
Paul was just seven points shy of the 20,000-point mark when the game began. He had already surpassed 10,000 assists, making him one of only six NBA players to do so.
This fall, the 36-year-old began his 17th season in the NBA. Prior to Friday’s game, he had averaged 18.3 points, 9.4 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game in 1,091 games.
Paul entered the game with the Lakers with 10,285 assists, only 49 behind Mark Jackson for fourth place on the league’s all-time assist list. He was also 49 points behind Antawn Jamison for the No. 46 spot on the league’s all-time scoring list entering the game.
Paul is the NBA’s all-time assist leader, and he should be able to pass both Jackson and Nash before the end of his career. With 12,091 points, Jason Kidd is second, and John Stockton is first with 15,806.
Paul scored a game-high 23 points and added four assists to see to the Lakers’ second straight loss at start the new season.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
