Chris Paul hasn’t forgiven the Clippers: “They disrespected me”
Chris Paul’s return to the Clippers was supposed to bring his career full circle. Instead, it became one of the most painful moments of his 21-year NBA career
Months later, Chris Paul still hasn’t gotten over the way his final stint with the Los Angeles Clippers ended. And time, at least for now, doesn’t seem to have changed much. CP3 has spoken again about a breakup he continues to view as deeply disrespectful, adding another chapter to a particularly difficult period for the Clippers, who were recently hit hard by the NBA over the Kawhi Leonard case.
Paul had returned to Los Angeles with a special purpose: to finish his NBA career with the franchise where he had spent some of the most important seasons of his career. The ending, however, was almost the exact opposite of what he had envisioned.
During his final season, the Clippers decided to send Chris Paul home, separating him from the team before eventually trading him. The way the situation was handled drew plenty of criticism at the time, and Paul now describes it in very direct terms.
Chris Paul: “One of the most disrespectful things i’ve ever experienced”
Appearing on the Build or Break Podcast, Chris Paul revisited his departure from the Clippers, explaining how much the situation affected not only him but also his family.
The interesting thing about that whole situation is that it was probably one of the most disrespectful things I’ve ever experienced
Chris Paul
Those are strong words, especially coming from a player who has spent 21 years in the NBA and has experienced his fair share of difficult situations.
I’ve seen a lot of crazy things throughout my career. Now I have older kids and a wife who is very involved. They know what happens on a day-to-day basis within the team and the organization. Obviously, I was angry, but so were my family and everyone close to me
Chris Paul
For Paul, the issue goes beyond a simple basketball decision by the Clippers. What hurt most was the way he was treated by a franchise he had invested so much in, both on and off the court.
I think it’s mainly because of everything we’ve given to this team over the years, and then to see how the situation was handled. It makes you realize that, regardless of what you do or what you’ve done, at the end of the day, nobody cares
Chris Paul
CP3 had already spent six seasons with the franchise from 2011 to 2017, becoming one of the faces of the “Lob City Clippers” era alongside Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. The team never reached the NBA Finals, but it played a major role in completely changing the perception of the franchise.
That is precisely why his return carried a different meaning. Paul had chosen to come back to Los Angeles during the final stage of his career, but what was supposed to be a celebratory final chapter turned into a deeply painful separation.
And from his comments, it’s clear that the biggest issue wasn’t having to leave the team, but rather the way everything unfolded.
An NBA championship is the one major accomplishment missing from his résumé, but it is unlikely to change the way his career is viewed – or his eventual induction into the Hall of Fame.