Paul’s family, based in LA since Paul was traded to the Clippers from New Orleans in December 2011, was in the front row. While the 40-year-old Paul could choose to end his career after this season, it is not something he is committing to now.

The 40-year-old guard says he is grateful for the combination of more time with his family while playing for a veteran-laden team with legitimate championship aspirations.

Chris Paul walked into an empty Intuit Dome on Monday, looked up at the massive halo board and saw his name. His No. 3 jersey hung in the home locker room. Both things confirmed that Paul was back where he'd wanted to be for a long time,