The entire NBA fraternity was completely in shock when the Los Angeles Clippers announced two weeks ago that Chris Paul would no longer be with the team. This came on the back of a fractured relationship between the 12-time All-Star and the franchise.

According to reports via ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the Clippers associate head coach, Jeff Van Gundy, accused Paul of changing a team assignment handed out by him to star player Kawhi Leonard, and they had a disagreement on that issue on a flight following the Clippers’ 114-110 defeat to the Dallas Mavericks on November 29.

Paul was apparently not happy with the franchise’s usage of Leonard as the forward was returning to action following a minutes restriction, and he was assigned to shadow Mavs star Klay Thompson, who is generally known for his off-the-ball movement. Paul questioned the coaching staff about Leonard’s assignment, indicating that it would exhaust him way more quickly, risking another injury.

The Clippers’ staff, however, did not appreciate Paul openly challenging the game plan and later being accused of changing coverage without approval. Soon after, the organization decided it had reached a breaking point and informed Paul he was being sent home as the sides moved toward a separation.

Chris Paul came up with an Instagram post revealing the news to the world on December 3, where he mentioned he was ‘sent back’ home by the Clippers. The news broke out like wildfire, and the entire fraternity was extremely critical of the Clippers’ front office and coaching staff.

Earlier on The Athletic, it was revealed that, given the Clippers’ horrible 6-20 record this season, in a campaign which most people felt that they would be a contender, coach Tyrron Lue and his coaches were under a lot of pressure, and when his entire CP3 issue happened, they didn’t know how to react. The Clippers officials had reportedly approached Paul with these concerns after he was critical of the team during a film session.

Chris Paul raised concerns with the Los Angeles Clippers’ culture

There was a lot of excitement among fans when it was revealed that Chris Paul would don the Clippers jersey again for this season. Some people felt it could have been his deserved swansong with the franchise.

It was thought to be a good move even by the Clippers, as he was signed from free agency on a one-year contract worth $3.6 million. They believed he could be a veteran bench option, a leader who could guide the second unit on the court.

Top Stories

Caitlin Clark Shows Concerning Signs vs. Kelsey Plum During USA Camp Debut, per National Reporter

Did Zion Williamson Slide Into Sydney Sweeney’s DMs? Fact Checking the Viral Screenshot

NBA Urged To Take Action After Stephen Curry, Warriors’ ‘Blatant Cheating’ Caught on Camera

Victor Wembanyama Breaks Down in Tears After Death News as Fans Backtrack on NBA Cup Criticism

USA Camp Thrown Into Uncharted Territory by Caitlin Clark & Aliyah Boston, per National Reporter

However, things didn’t work out between the two parties as they parted ways rather unceremoniously. As per ESPN’s reports, it was CP3 who raised concerns about the Clippers’ culture to the head of basketball operations, Lawrence Frank, following their defeat against the Phoenix Suns on November 6.

The veteran was not happy with the lack of conversation in the team’s chat group and also with the lack of time the players spend between themselves off the court. However, eventually his leadership was seen as a subversive attitude towards the franchise.

Following this conversation, things turned sour between the Clippers and Paul as he started seeing fewer to no minutes in consecutive games. Van Gundy even stopped talking to him after a certain point, which only added fuel to the fire. Their primary concern around him was his divisive nature, and even head coach Tye Lue was not happy with him being extremely critical of his teammates and coaches.

Overall, Chris Paul is one of the greatest players in Clippers’ history as he was a five-time All-Star in six seasons with the team between 2011 and 2017. However, this recent stint with the franchise will remain as a blot on an otherwise illustrious association. The future Hall of Famer is at the twilight of his career with 12 All-Star selections, 11 All-NBA, and nine NBA All-Defensive Team selections. He is also second in NBA history in assists and steals.