Written by: Holofelang Mogane
In the words of Nelly Furtado, “Flames to dust, lovers to friends…Why do all good things come to an end?” That is how you can best describe the shock and sudden divorce between the Los Angeles Clippers and one of its most trusted soldiers and veteran point guard, Chris Paul.
In a shocking announcement, it has been reported that the club sent the veteran home from their road trip, which put a shocking plot twist on what is the veteran point guard’s final NBA season, as he is set to retire at the end of the season.
Affectionately dubbed as “CP3”, Chris Paul joined the LA Clippers after spending a full season with the San Antonio Spurs, where he played alongside the rookie Victor Wembenyama in the 2024/25 regular season.
He announced his return to the LA Clippers after his stint at the Spurs came to an end, as he signed a one-year deal worth $3.6million, to mark his 21st and final season in the NBA, but things went downhill. It has been reported that CP3 and his leadership style clashed with the Clippers, as Paul has been vocal in holding management, coaches, and players accountable, which the team felt was disruptive. It has also been reported that he has not seen eye to eye with the current head coach, Tyrone Lue, as they have not been on speaking terms for weeks.
Let us talk more about one of the most underrated point guards in basketball, Chris Paul. Nicknamed “The Point God”, Chris Paul was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in 2005 after his collegiate years, as he played for Wake Forest University from 2003 – 2005. He was the 4th pick in the very 1st round of the NBA draft in 2005, and made his debut for the Charlotte Hornets in that year. CP3 finished his rookie year leading all rookies in total points, assists, steals, and double-doubles, and became the 2nd rookie in NBA history to lead the league in total steals. Paul averaged 16.1 points per game, 5.1 rebounds per game, 7.8 assists per game, and 2.2 steals, and was named NBA Rookie of the Year.
Paul rose to stardom in his rookie years, and he featured in the NBA All-Star weekend, as he set a Rookie Challenge record with 17 assists and 9 steals. He increased his scoring to 17.3 points per game and 8.9 assists, but was hit with injuries.
He was selected to make his 1st ever NBA All-Star Game appearance in 2007/08, as he played in front of his home fans in New Orleans.
Paul has spent his 1st of two different stints at the Los Angeles Clippers from 2011 to 2017, where he was alongside Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, collaborating as The Big Three, where he also won his 1st NBA All-Star MVP as a Clipper, before he joined the Houston Rockets from 2017 to 2019. He spent a full season with the Oklahoma City Thunder before he moved to Arizona to play for the Phoenix Suns, where he was part of history as he saw the Suns make their 1st ever NBA Finals appearance, but lost the best-of-seven finals series against eventual champions, the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021. After his stint came to an end in 2023, he joined the Golden State Warriors for one season before joining the San Antonio Spurs in 2024, where he spent another full season with the former 5x NBA champions.
There was indeed an emotional return to the LA Clippers, in what was to be his final NBA season as a player, so you could look at this season as a retirement tour. But unfortunately, recent developments would leave a bitter taste in every basketball lover’s mouth as he was released by the club on Wednesday.
The Clippers have not been great at all so far this season, as they have been on a bad run of form thus far, and are tied with the Sacramento Kings for the 2nd worst record in the Western Conference.
We are not just talking about anybody…we are talking about the Point God – one of the most remarkable basketball players with impeccable basketball IQ, and a leader in the locker room, who has left a lasting impact in every team he has played for.
Paul is a 12x NBA All-Star, an NBA All-Star MVP, a 4x All-NBA First Team, a 5x NBA All-NBA Second Team, a 2x All-NBA-Third Team, a 7x NBA All-Defensive Second Team, NBA Rookie of the Year, 5x NBA Assists leader, and 6x NBA Steals leader.
He is also part and parcel of the iconic NBA 75th anniversary team (where the league celebrated 75 years in 2021)…we can go on and on, and mentioning his other accolades in college basketball and high school basketball would make this list of his achievements look as long as your Christmas lunch list.
Nonetheless, we are not talking about anybody else here, but a basketball player who has left an indelible mark in basketball history, with his accolades making it all but certain that he will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. For such a player to be treated in this manner is sad and disappointing, and it seems the retirement tour is not going as planned for CP3. But we can only hope that his exit would not spell trouble for the Clippers, as their regular season is in tatters at the moment, and for their sake, let us hope that it is not going to get worse.
The Clippers currently sit with a bad record of 6-16, despite winning their last match on Thursday morning (Wednesday night in American time). They currently sit 13th in the Western Conference, and there can be hope that it does not get worse from here.
The regular season is still far from match no.82, so maybe we will see CP3 with another club to wrap up his outstanding career and to complete his retirement tour in the NBA.