Chris Paul’s wife, Jada Paul (née Crawley), had a two-word response to the Los Angeles Clippers’ farewell tribute to the player that made it crystal clear how she felt about the team.
A day after the team posted what was meant to be a touching tribute to Chris Paul after his retirement, Jada Paul wrote “Girl, bye.”
Her comment, and the fact that multiple other teams Chris Paul played for posted tributes that he actually responded to, summed up the lasting sentiment between the family and the team.
Paul, 40, returned to the Clippers before the start of the 2025-2026 NBA season with the intent to finish his career on the team he spent a lot of time with throughout his NBA years.
Instead of a lengthy farewell tour, though, Paul only played 16 games with the Clippers following reports of disagreements with the coaching staff. He was eventually traded to the Toronto Raptors ahead of the trade deadline before being waived. He then announced his retirement.
Paul had his first major run with the Clippers from 2011 to 2017, setting the stage for a legendary era for the franchise thanks to his play with Blake Griffin and multiple playoff appearances.
In his announcement post about his retirement, Paul explained how he felt after leaving the basketball court for good.
“This is it! After over 21 years I’m stepping away from basketball,” Paul wrote on Instagram. “As I write this, it’s hard to really know what to feel, but for once—most people would be surprised—I don’t have the answer lol! But, mostly I’m filled with so much joy and gratitude! While this chapter of being an ‘NBA player’ is done, the game of basketball will forever be engrained in the DNA of my life.”
“I’ve been in the NBA for more than half of my life, spanning three decades. It’s crazy even saying that!!” he added. “Playing basketball for a living has been an unbelievable blessing that also came with lots of responsibility. I embraced it all. The good and the bad. As a lifelong learner, leadership is hard and is not for the weak. Some will like you and many people won’t. But the goal was always the goal, and my intentions were always sincere (Damn, I love competing!!)”