It’s the type of storybook conclusion worthy of legendary sport stars: a retirement tour around the league where you bid farewell to all of the arenas and fanbases you played for or against – if you can manage this with one of your former squads, even better.
That surely was the aspiration for one of basketball’s greatest ever floor generals, Chris Paul.
The slight (well, for the NBA anyways) playmaker is a 12-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA First Teamer, a member of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team, second on the league’s all-time assist tally and is a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer. He was so brilliant, for so long, that one of his monikers is a complimentary play on his position: “Point God.”
Paul seemingly affirmed to the world that this was indeed his farewell tour on November 22 with a posting on X which said, “Back in NC!!! What a journey…Still so much left…Grateful for this last one!!” accompanied with a career highlight reel which concluded with the phrase, “Never postpone gratitude.”
So it was with no lack of astonishment to basketball followers that the Los Angeles Clippers, a franchise with which the 39-year-old had played from 2011 to 2017, had severed ties with Paul – despite his considerably diminished effectiveness – on Wednesday morning ahead of their match against the Atlanta Hawks.
Paul himself verified the word in a post to his Instagram Stories at 2:40 a.m. ET, “Just Discovered I’m Being Sent Home” with a peace sign emoji.
CP3’s former teammates voiced their dismay at the news after the Hawks game with James Harden stating he was “just as puzzled and astounded as you all, the public” and franchise star Kawhi Leonard also saying he was surprised. ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith put it plainly: “How the heck do you do this to Chris Paul?”
So what transpired between the Clippers and their franchise record assist and steal leader?
One final performance
Heading into his 21st season in the NBA, Paul was facing a truth that all titans of the game must acknowledge: Father Time was prevailing.
In an attempt to make his ultimate year in the sport the finest it could be, Paul inked a one-year pact back in July with the Clippers as they possessed what seemed to be a potent lineup featuring Leonard, Harden and Bradley Beal among others.
What commenced relatively soundly with a 3-2 start to the season swiftly became bitter both on and outside the hardwood. The NBA announced it was initiating a probe into the franchise over an alleged forbidden endorsement agreement, Leonard was sidelined for 10 contests with an ankle ailment, Beal fractured his hip and was declared out for the year, LA dropped 14 of 17 games, and dissatisfaction was rampant in the squad.
For his part, Paul reportedly wasn’t communicating with Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue for several weeks, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, and had argued with management and members of the coaching contingent and roster due to divergent opinions on how to manage the team’s descent.
The outcome? Los Angeles parting ways with what it termed “a legendary Clipper who has had a historic career” in a written announcement sent to the Associated Press.
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue, right, stands beside Paul during a preseason game in October.
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue, right, stands beside Paul during a preseason game in October. Rocky Widner/NBAE/Getty Images
Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank informed ESPN that the organization “was not scapegoating Chris Paul” and that he took “the accountability for the record we have presently.”
Frank added: “This determination had nothing to do with one episode or one conference that did or did not occur.”
Lue, for his part, remarked before the Hawks game on Wednesday that Paul’s exit didn’t “necessarily (aid) our team.”
“I don’t believe the rationale we are 5-16 is due to CP’s performance. I just think that it wasn’t a good fit for what he was seeking,” Lue concluded. “Do I wish to observe CP conclude like this? No, I harbor immense regard for him.
“He’s been an acquaintance of mine throughout the years and you don’t wish to observe a great conclude in this manner. But I am quite certain he will discover something because he’s an excellent player. (But) I didn’t wish to observe it terminate like this.”
What’s next for Paul?
Paul isn’t qualified to be dealt until December 15, so he will likely be stationary until then, as the Clippers are improbable to release him due to intricate league regulations concerning salary cap and roster dimensions.
A contract buy-out is a possibility, but the circumstances are also somewhat intricate with possible destinations for Paul following any accord.
As such, Paul remains in uncertainty with a startling separation on the horizon after what promised to be such a pleasant fairytale finale.
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