Another chapter closes for the legendary Banana Boat crew. With Melo and D-Wade already savoring retirement life, Chris Paul has decided it’s his turn to hang up the sneakers. Just a month into the season, CP3 took to Instagram to share his farewell vibes: “What a ride…Still so much left…GRATEFUL for this last one!!” The post featured a highlight reel set to a remix of Frank Sinatra’s My Way, a perfect soundtrack for a career done his way: a way that JJ Redick might question, but he’ll have to hash out with LeBron James, who clearly doesn’t see things Redick’s way.

While LeBron went through the usual social media motions, calling Paul the “Point God,” he got real when asked what he truly wishes for his longtime friend. His answer was simple: “Happiness.” Even if that happiness meant giving up the championship? That’s debatable.

But he was genuine when he said, “Just be happy as he possibly can. You don’t want to look back on… when you’re done and be like, you know, I was angry or I didn’t take full advantage of your last year and things of that nature. I know he is happy being back in LA with his family, you know, seeing little CP, seeing his daughter, seeing what they’re doing. You know, I know that’s pretty special to him.”

Paul’s reunion with the Clippers was his soft launch into retirement. After years of bouncing around the league, he took that one-year, $3.6 million deal mainly to be home again.

He’d already hinted this season would likely be his last, and when he said, “After being away from them for six years, it’s time to be present,” the message couldn’t have been clearer.

All year, he’s talked about how much he loves watching his kids’ games. So, signing with L.A. was less about basketball and more about choosing family.

LeBron kept the love coming, saying, “So hope he can just get joy out of his final year and, like you said, we’ve known each other for forever. So, hell of a player, hell of a career. I can go on and on but this is awesome. I mean, he has nothing to hang his head about. He’s done pretty much everything that the league had to offer.”

James added, “Yeah, I just hope he just takes it all in. You know, this is last hurrah. So, we never get this moment again once you’re done to be able to go out and, you know, be in the arena.”

LeBron and Paul have been circling each other since they were teenagers. Their first run-in? An AAU tournament back in eighth grade. “We actually met for the first time when we were in eighth grade… Officially met my junior year, his sophomore year, and we’ve been friends ever since,” Bron said.

That bond runs deep, deep enough that Paul was in the room when Bryce James was born and is literally his godfather. Olympics, offseasons, family moments, they’ve shared everything except an NBA locker room.

They’ve never worn the same jersey, not once in 21 seasons. And this year? Paul chose the Clippers again, setting up a direct collision course with the Lakers instead of riding off into the sunset next to Bron.

Paul’s reads like the blueprint for a point guard who refused to waste a single dribble. Steals champ six times, assists leader five times, Rookie of the Year, 11 All-NBA nods, nine All-Defense selections, and a spot on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.

Across seven teams, he put up 16.9 points, 9.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per night. That competitiveness hasn’t dulled one bit.

So if a championship happens to come down to these two friends staring across the court at each other, don’t expect Paul to blink, especially in what he’s already calling his last run.

And maybe that’s exactly why JJ Redick isn’t sending him any warm retirement wishes. 

JJ Redick absolutely couldn’t stand Chris Paul

JJ Redick didn’t even try to hide it; his early relationship with Chris Paul was straight-up hostility wrapped in ACC pride. So when asked by B/R about Paul’s legacy, Redick couldn’t resist taking a playful jab:

“I hate saying this. I hope he never wins an NBA championship ’cause that would mean the Clippers winning the NBA championship and we don’t.” The room cracked up, and JJ doubled down with a grin.

Back in his Orlando rookie days, Redick was the frustrated bench guy in a suit, and CP3 was the rising star running the Hornets.

Redick told the story with a grin, remembering the moment Paul walked over during a dead ball and poked at him: “Yeah, this is a lot different from college, isn’t it, JJ?” Redick said his immediate reaction was pure fire: “I f—— hate that guy.”

And honestly, that’s exactly how Paul saw him, too, another ACC rival to needle until proven worthy.

Fast forward a few years, and the universe decided to play matchmaker. Redick landed on the Clippers in 2013, suddenly sharing the same locker room with the same guy who once chirped him from a corner. And just like that, the rivalry flipped on its head.

Redick admitted the shift surprised even him, saying the best part of playing with Paul was their almost eerie connection on the floor: “When I was his teammate, the thing that I loved the most was our non-verbal synergy.” 

Then he got honest about the journey: “The arc of our relationship is very interesting; from going for a decade plus of quite literally hating each other to feeling like he’s a part of my family.” He may not want CP3 to get that ring in a Clippers jersey, but the respect is there. That’s deeper than the jokes.

Redick, now running the Lakers’ sidelines, made that crystal clear when he summed up how he truly sees Paul, title or not: “…to me he is the ultimate winner…”