The 2021 Finals: The Closest Dance with a Title

In the 2020 offseason, Chris Paul was traded to the Phoenix Suns, joining Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton. Everyone knew this was Paul's last real window.

That Suns team transformed. Paul brought playoff-level control and clutch stability; Phoenix surged, returned to the playoffs after eleven years, and marched to the Finals. In 2021 they faced Giannis Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee Bucks.

Phoenix led 2-0, and the city could taste a first title. But Milwaukee adjusted; Giannis dominated the paint, and the Bucks won four straight to take the crown 4-2. Paul's Finals debut ended 2-4.

Still, 2021 meant everything to Paul: his first and only Finals floor. He showed the composure of an elite guard, especially orchestrating under road pressure—textbook as ever.

The "ringless" label stung sharper that year, yet more moving—a 36-year-old who spent a whole career persisting finally touched the summit. Whatever the result, that Suns team wrote Paul into the "honorable in defeat" list.

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• 2021 Milwaukee Night: Giannis Drops 50 for the Title
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• The 2005 Draft: The Fourth Pick That Answered New Orleans