LOS ANGELES– In a move shocking the sports landscape, the Los Angeles Clippers cut Chris Paul on Wednesday, December 3 The future Hall of Famer was signed less than two months ago, announcing that this was indeed his final season.
“Just Found Out I’m Being Sent Home,” Paul, 40, wrote on Instagram on Wednesday . CP3 is one of the greatest point guards in NBA history.
In a statement Lawrence Frank, the Clippers president of basketball operations, confirmed the team is “parting ways with Chris, and he will no longer be with the team.”
At a dismal 5-16 record, the Clippers are one of the league’s worst franchises. Paul repeatedly complained about the direction the team was taking.
Paul has averaged 2.9 points this season, his 21st, with 15 appearances and no starts. He played Monday, where the Clippers lost to the Miami Heat, scoring 8 points and recording three assists.
“I want to make one thing very clear. No one is blaming Chris for our underperformance. I accept responsibility for the record we have right now. There are a lot of reasons why we’ve struggled. We’re grateful for the impact Chris has made on the franchise.”
Paul, known as “CP3,” is a modern basketball great, second on the all-time assists list with more than 12,500, and has been an NBA All-Star 12 times.
This is Paul’s second stint with the Clippers, having played for the team during a hugely successful six seasons from 2011 to 2017.
Fans and teammates are surprised and disappointed it ended this way. No fairwell tour for the fans to thank Paul one final timefor his greatness on and off the court.
Paul’s leadership style clashed with Clippers management, specifically coach Tyronn Lue. Lue and Paul were not on speaking terms for several weeks, and Paul was reportedly vocal in holding management, coaches and players accountable.
The organization felt his behavior was disruptive. Paul is arguably the best Clipper in franchise history, leading the team in assists (4,076) and analytics metrics such as plus/minus (8.3) and value over replacement (36.6).
Paul has not stated whether he will sign with another team or retire.