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INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 04: Head coach Tyronn Lue speaks with James Harden #1 of the Los Angeles Clippers against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Intuit Dome on November 04, 2025 in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Clippers put their season under a brighter microscope for sending legendary point guard Chris Paul home. It felt like an obvious fit for both sides to have Clippers all-time great Paul end his career with the franchise in a reserve role. However, tension mounting between Paul and the franchise caused a shocking move.
Reports indicated that head coach Ty Lue and Paul did not speak for weeks after their relationship reached an ugly stage. However, Lue is responding a week later to say that it’s a lie that holds no weight:
“That ain’t true,” Lue shared on Tuesday. “How’s he going to play and I’m not talking to him? There was a stretch when he wasn’t going to play and be out of the rotation, it was tough for him because he’s a competitor.”
Lue claims that they still had a speaking relationship and the drama stemmed from his coaching decision. Paul’s early season struggles saw Lue moving from the reserve point guard role to barely getting any rotation minutes at all. The implication from Lue is that Paul growing unhappy with his new role caused the drama to reach this level.
Ty Lue: Locker Room Was Unhappy
Lue deserves credit for being quite honest about certain aspects of this story playing out. No players on the roster were informed about this decision before it took place. Superstars Kawhi Leonard and James Harden both expressed confusion the day after the news to make it clear they didn’t endorse this.
Confirmation from Lue stated that some players were unhappy about Paul being sent home:
“The guys were not happy about it. That’s their teammate. It’s a guy they also go to war with every single day, and he was part of us. So, it’s tough. The organization made the decision to do it, but we’ve got to move on.”
Paul is a polarizing player around the league, but he gets the ultimate respect from teammates once they go to battle together. The hunger to win and compete made Paul a beloved peer for most of his career. Clippers’ teammates didn’t like seeing a franchise great get disrespected on the way out.
Ty Lue Lost Chris Paul’s Confidence
Reports from multiple reporters have confirmed that Lue and Paul clashing was the biggest variable of this ongoing drama that couldn’t be fixed. Assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy confronted Paul on the team plane about changing plays run by the staff and influencing players to make other decisions.
Paul clearly rubbed the franchise the wrong way to make General Manager Lawrence Frank send him home. However, mostly sided with Paul due to the respect he deserves for his legendary career and for the franchise drastically underperforming.
Lue shutting down the story about them not speaking does make him look a tad better since that would have been a damning state of his status as a coach. However, all the other problems remain for the Clippers still trying to salvage their season. Lue must turn the sinking ship around or risk having this harm his reputation around the league.
Joey Haverford Joey Haverford is a seasoned sports content writer with over 12 years of experience. He has covered the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NFL, and professional wrestling in the sports industry. More about Joey Haverford
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