Blake Griffin and Udonis Haslem sound off on Clippers parting ways with Chris Paul

Blake Griffin and Udonis Haslem sound off on Clippers parting ways with Chris Paul

As we know, the Clippers parted ways with Chris Paul and Chris Haynes reached out to CP3 to see what was next. And he replied, “I’m just staying ready. I’m hooping right now. I don’t know what’s next. I’m still scarred by it all. Still processing everything, but I’m staying ready.” And then Blake Griffin got on to FaceTime with Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan not long after this all went down. And here’s what he and Udon Sazzlam had to say about the situation. I’m just disappointed to be honest. I I I can’t think of really another word. Obviously shocked at first, um, but disappointed. I’m disappointed for Chris Paul. Um, but I’m disappointed in the Clippers organization. I mean, Chris Paul was a guy who came to the Clippers uh when DeAndre and I were first and second year guys. Um, he brought a winning culture. He taught us how to operate in the NBA and how to take every game seriously, how to take your body seriously. Um, that there was no detail that was too small. Um, and we weren’t perfect, right? Like we we didn’t ultimately win a championship. I know that. I’m reminded of it every day. Um, and and CP and I didn’t always see eye to eye, but I’m disappointed because we got to a franchise that was synonymous with jokes, right? You heard the Clippers and you heard Cursed, and again, we didn’t win a championship, but we did create a culture and an environment that uh people respected. You know, every year you knew the Clippers were going to be competitive. Um, and and and Chris Paul for 20 years has been the same player. he’s been about winning. Um, and and you know, resigning with the Clippers, this was supposed to be his moment, his his, you know, I’m coming back to LA. Um, you I’m giving it one last go. And for him to not get to walk out on his own terms from the franchise that he chose to go to to end his career, um, is extremely disappointing. But I think the biggest reason I’m disappointed is what Chris said, no communication with Tailoo. And, uh, even more than that, you know, no communication. I talked to CP Wednesday. I talked to him yesterday. I talked to him today. No communication with Steve Balmer. Um and and that’s that’s like the disappointing thing for me. Yeah. I spoke to Chris about the FaceTime that he posted on Instagram of you, him and DeAndre. He said in a very complicated day with lots of emotions that really lifted his spirits having that conversation with all of you. But Blake, I have to ask, you of course had your own ups and downs with the Clippers organization. Does that shape how you view how they handled this? Yeah, I mean our experiences always shape, you know, how we see everything. Um, you know, I I always go back to that that clip. I think everybody’s seen it. I was shooting free throws pregame and running off the court and Steve Balmer tries to come up and shake my hand and oh, there it is again. Um, and and that was my pregame routine. I meant nothing by that. And I said I’ll say the same same thing right now that I said then, you know, he has my number. It could have been a situation where he just reached out, hey, I want to talk. And I I it doesn’t change what happened, doesn’t change how it happened, but it does uh give me a certain amount of of closure just because it’s like, hey, we had to make decisions. He had to make a decision. It’s all good. Um but like I said, I’m disappointed um that that nobody’s reached out to Chris. Um because, you know, this this organization’s been through a lot and and you know, you can build a new arena. Uh you can be at games, you can cheer on the team, you can have all this high energy. Um, but at the end of the day, an organization uh is built on a foundation of respect. Yes. And it’s built on how you treat people. And I don’t think that in this situation uh Chris was treated right. So, um I I I I I’m sort of at a loss for words a little bit. I’m I’m I’m just disappointed. Yeah. I mean, of course, there are two sides to every story and UD Chris Paul’s leadership has become somewhat a topic of discussion within all of this. What questions do you have about if or how that played a role? I mean, for for me as I as I’ve been a locker room guy who’s had to reinvent himself over and over and over just to be a part of winning and help other guys that come in. The thing that disappoints me and the same thing with Blake. It’s two parts to communication. There’s giving and there’s receiving of the communication. Um, we all understand that Chris is an acquired taste and he’s not for everybody, but neither was I. But I I was given the respect and and the relationship with my coaches to open up the door to have a conversation. So every message that I echoed was in line with the message of the coaching staff and the coach. When I saw that clip right there and I look on that and I see Too, I see Brian Shaw, I see I see guys who sat in the locker room. I see guys who who were part of that brotherhood. So, I understand Chris Paul might have ruffled some feathers, but we never turned our back on our brothers with the door is open. Especially when you’re a coach that that played, that door is open for your vets. That is where I am disappointed. Chris Paul could have said a lot of things that rub people the wrong way. He still should have been able to walk in that office and have an eye to- eye communication, man-to-man conversation with Tulu. Everything that I have ever done in this league and everything that I have accomplished has always come with eye communication. It’s never been behind the back. It’s never head down being cynical. It’s always out of eye communication. And that’s what I think the problem was. There was just no out of eye communication with Tou and Chris Paul. Because if you have Chris Paul on your side, even with the leadership skills that he has, if you can somewhat meet him where he’s at, then you have an ally in your locker

Blake Griffin and Udonis Haslem sound off on Los Angeles Clippers parting ways with Chris Paul

Via: NBA on Prime

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