Even Gilbert Arenas can’t deny that Chris Paul is one of the greatest point guards of all time, but the three-time All-Star shared his controversial stance on the 39-year-old’s passing ability. Gil lauded CP3’s body of work as a floor general but doesn’t believe his passing stacks up with some of the game’s other elite playmakers.
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Arenas stressed that passing is a talent in itself and what made Magic Johnson the basketball icon that he is. He even insisted on putting Tyrese Haliburton above the legendary playmaker, claiming the speed at which the Pacers star plays the game makes it more difficult not to turn the ball over.
“Chris Paul is a great point guard. You can say he’s top 5 point guards ever. But, you know, when you’re talking about best passers ever, he wouldn’t be in the top 10,” Arenas claimed. The former Wizard explained how CP3 plays a slower, playoff-style brand of basketball to avoid mistakes. He believes guards who play faster have a more difficult job.
“I wouldn’t have [Haliburton] a better point guard than Chris Paul. But, as just passing ability… Because I factor in, like, Chris Paul plays the game slow… He’s trying not to turn the ball over,” Arenas continued. “How Haliburton plays the game, everybody who’s played the game that fast, does a turnover.”
Chris Paul is NOT a Top 10 passer pic.twitter.com/4KTFi7rAhv
— Gilbert Arenas (@NoChillGilZero) April 13, 2025
This is certainly a bold take from Arenas and far from the consensus, as most view Paul as arguably a top 5 passer of all time, never mind top 10. However, how Arenas is describing passing ability makes it sound as if he’s prioritizing how flashy the dishes are. Both Magic and Hali put more flair on their passes than Paul, but they weren’t always more efficient.
While it still may be too early to give Haliburton the nod over the future Hall of Famer in terms of his passing ability, the 25-year-old is on track to become a generational playmaker himself. Averaging 10.1 assists to just 2.3 turnovers during his tenure in Indiana, Hali’s right on track with CP3’s career averages of 9.2 assists and 2.3 turnovers.
Chris Paul once gave Gilbert Arenas problems on the court
Gilbert Arenas found himself with a grudge against Chris Paul in just the latter’s first year in the NBA. Arenas may not have learned to respect Paul’s passing chops, but he certainly learned to respect the 19-year veteran’s offensive skill set early in his career. He was once defeated by a rookie Paul in 20-straight 1v1 matchups.
“[Paul] beat me in 1s. Run it back real quick. Beat me again,” Arenas joked on Gil’s Arena. “Run it back young fella. He beat me 20 times… I was 0-20.” Arenas revealed he had to channel his inner-MJ when taking on Paul’s Hornets the next season.
He followed up on his words, leading the Wizards to two victories, but the individual domination Gil received still takes up space in his head. Chris Paul proved early on that he’s not only an elite passer, but he’s one of the craftiest opponents anyone can face in a 1v1 as well.
