Spurs' Chris Paul, in 20th season, makes history with 82 starts - ESPN

In Year 20, Chris Paul started all 82. And he made some NBA history in the process.

Paul was in the San Antonio Spurs' starting lineup for their season finale Sunday, making him the first player to ever make 82 starts this deep into a career. The previous mark on that front was held by Utah's John Stockton, who started all 82 games in his 19th and final season.

Paul — who turns 40 in less than a month — is one of three players to have a season with 82 appearances at his age. Stockton did it in the seasons where he turned 39 and 40, and Michael Jordan turned 39 in his final season while playing in all 82 games and starting 67 of them.

«It's crazy,» Paul said. «I was talking to my wife about this. When you're sort of in it, you're not really thinking about it. It's like, 'OK, it's Game 30. OK, it's Game 40something. It's game such and such.'»

It became Game 82. And Paul never missed a beat.

He's one of six players who made 82 starts in this NBA regular season, which ended Sunday. The others: the New York Knicks' Mikal Bridges, Minnesota Timberwolves' Jaden McDaniels, Houston Rockets' Jalen Green, Cleveland Cavaliers' Jarrett Allen and Paul's San Antonio teammate Harrison Barnes.

With Paul, Barnes and Julian Champagnie, the Spurs became the first team since the 2017-18 Minnesota Timberwolves with at least three players to appear in 82 games.

For Barnes, who is in his first year with the Spurs, Sunday's game was his 304th in a row. He and Paul are the first Spurs to play all 82 games since Bryn Forbes and Patty Mills in 2018-19 — and the first Spurs to start all 82 games since Bruce Bowen in 2006-07.

«Year 20, this is only the second time in my career playing 82 games,» Paul said. «And also playing as long as I have, I think