Chris Paulreturn to Art Clippers Last summer was supposed to be a feel-good story, giving the veteran guard a chance to finish his NBA career in the organization where he had the most success. It turned out to be a disaster as Los Angeles got off to a terrible start and Paul clashed with management and coaches over his “destructive” leadership style.
He appeared in just 16 games before the Clippers decided to do so “break up” with him in early December, leaving him on the list but sending him home. This continued until he was gone traded to Toronto in February in a financially motivated move. Never expected him to play for the Raptors, but they did refused it eight days after the conclusion of the transaction. He announced his retirement on the same day.
Paul talks about his experience on the Build or Break podcast (Link to video on Twitter), criticizing the Clippers for how they handled the situation and calling it an embarrassing way to end his time in the NBA.
“What’s interesting about this whole situation is that it’s probably one of the most disrespectful things I’ve ever had to go through.” he said. “… I’ve been through a lot of wild things in my career, and I’ve got older kids and a wife who really benefit and they know the day-to-day goings-on of this team and this organization.”
During his first tenure with the Clippers, Paul was instrumental in giving them a positive identity after years of losing. He teamed up with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan to form the core of Lob City, which has become one of the most exciting teams in the league and produced several highlights in most games.
Injuries and other setbacks kept the team from much success in the playoffs, but they topped 50 wins in five straight seasons before Paul was traded to Houston in 2017.
Paul is the Clippers’ career leader in assists with 4,076 and ranks seventh on the team’s all-time scoring list with 7,721. He was an All-Star in five of his six seasons in Los Angeles and earned All-NBA honors five times.
His status among the greatest players in Clippers history made last season’s break even harder to accept.
“Obviously I was upset, but my family, my people, everybody,” – said Pavel. “… I think just because of the investment we’ve put into the team for as long as we have and to see how things have been handled. It lets you know that no matter what you do and what you’ve done, nobody cares.”