Isaiah Thomas believes Chris Paul staying could've won the **** le for the Spurs originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The 2025-26 season had some amazing stories, but one of the best was the San Antonio Spurs' sudden rise to become a championship contender. With Victor Wembanyama at the forefront, the Spurs went from missing the Playoffs the previous year to reaching the NBA Finals.
It was a superb season for the Spurs, but they ended up disappointed because they lost in the NBA Finals to the New York Knicks. During that NBA Finals series, it seemed the Spurs lacked veteran leadership, which they had the season before with Chris Paul.
During the 2024-25 season, it looked like the Spurs were on the rise. They had a promising first half of the season, but it was all ruined when Wembanyama suffered the blood clots that forced him to sit out the rest of the season.
In that first half, it was clear that the Spurs had a bright future with Wembanyama and Stephon Castle leading the way. They also had a tremendous leader in the locker room with Paul.