INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Chris Paul walked into an empty Intuit Dome on Monday, looked up at the massive halo board and saw his name. His No. 3 jersey hung in the home locker room.
Both things confirmed that Paul was back where he’d wanted to be for a long time, with the Los Angeles Clippers. He signed on last week for an off-the-bench role in the hopes of winning an NBA championship alongside Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.
kAm“xE’D <:?5 @7 H:=5[ <:?5 @7 4C2KJ[ DE:== <:?5 @7 DA6649=6DD[” !2F= D2:5] “%9:D 😀 @?6 @7 E9@D6 E9:?8D x <:?5 @7 >2?:76DE65 7@C 2 =@?8 E:>6[ D@CE @7 EC:65 E@ DA62< :E :?E@ 6I:DE6?46[ 3FE J@F ;FDE ?6G6C @H :7 :E’D C62==J 8@:?8 E@ 92AA6?]”k^Am
kAm{2DE DF>>6C[ !2F= C624965 @FE E@ r=:AA6CD @H?6C $E6G6 q2==>6C 2?5 2D<65 7@C 2 E@FC @7 x?EF:E s@>6[ H9:49 @A6?65 ?62C=J 2 J62C 28@]k^Am
kAm“x H2D ;FDE D@CE @7 A66<:?8 3642FD6 x 5:5?VE @H :7 2 8FJ @? E96 4FCC6?E E62> H2D 96C6 2?5 E96J H6C6 =:<6[ ‘(92E E96 96== 96 5@:?8 96C6 H2=<:?8 2C@F?5n’” !2F= D2:5[ D>:=:?8] Q(2=<:?8 2C@F?5 ;FDE ?@H :EVD 2 E@E2==J 5:776C6?E 766=:?8]”k^Am
kAm!2F= 7C6BF6?E=J 8=2?465 5@H? 2E 9:D 72>:=J D:EE:?8 😕 E96 7:CDE C@H — H:76 y252[ `e\J62C\@=5 D@? r9C:D yC] 2?5 `a\J62C\@=5 52F89E6C r2>CJ?] %96J 4@?E:?F65 =:G:?8 😕 {@D p?86=6D H96? 96 =67E E96 r=:AA6CD D:I J62CD 28@] %92E =65 E@ H2E49:?8 E96:C 72E96C @? %’ 2?5 D92C:?8 BF:4< A9@?6 4@?G6CD2E:@?D 367@C6 D49@@=]k^Am
kAm“x =@G6 E@ 9@@A[ x =@G6 E@ A=2J E9:D 82>6 3FE x =@G6 >J 72>:=J >@C6 E92? 2?J @7 :E[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmw6VD 2=C625J >2<:?8 FA 7@C =@DE E:>6]k^Am
kAmw6 =:7E65 H6:89ED H:E9 9:D D@? 2?5 C646?E=J C6EFC?65 7C@> 2EE6?5:?8 9:D 52F89E6CVD pp& 32D<6E32== E@FC?2>6?E]k^Am
kAm“%@ E6== J@F E96 ECFE9[ >J H:76 2?5 >J <:5D AC@323=J E:C65 @7 >6 2=C625J[” 96 D2:5] “tG6C D:?46 x 8@E E96 ?6HD[ 6G6CJ E:>6 H6VC6 9@>6[ xV> ;FDE ;F>A:?8 2C@F?5 E2=<:?8 23@FE ‘x’> 9@>6[ xV> 9@>6]V”k^Am
kAm!2F= =67E E96 r=:AA6CD 7@C E96 w@FDE@? #@4<6ED 😕 a_`f 3642FD6 96 76=E :E H2D E:>6 7@C 2 492?86 2?5 96 H2?E65 E@ 4@>A6E6 7@C 2 492>A:@?D9:A H:E9 w2C56?]k^Am
kAm“xEVD H:=5 E92E J@F 86E E9:D @AA@CEF?:EJ 282:? 27E6C E9@D6 EH@ J62CD 2?5 E96 DF446DD E92E H6 925[” !2F= D2:5] “(6 567:?:E6=J @H H6 925 F?7:?:D965 3FD:?6DD D@ H6 86E 2 492?46 E@ D66 H92EVD 8@:?8 @? 96C6]”k^Am
kAmp7E6C EH@ D62D@?D 😕 w@FDE@?[ !2F= H6?E E@ ~<=29@>2 r:EJ 7@C @?6 D62D@?] w6 E96? DA6?E E9C66 J62CD H:E9 !9@6?:I 2?5 @?6 H:E9 v@=56? $E2E6 367@C6 ;@:?:?8 E96 $AFCD =2DE D62D@?] %96J 7:?:D965 `bE9 😕 E96 (6DE6C? r@?76C6?46 2E bc\cg]k^Am
kAm“x H2?E65 E@ 86E 324< 2?5 A=2J 96C6 3J 2?J >62?D ?646DD2CJ[Q !2F= D2:5] Qx 5:5?VE 6G6? 42C6 H92E E96 E62> =@@<65 =:<6[ x ;FDE H2?E65 E@ 36 9@>6[ 36 96C6 H:E9 E96 r=:AA6CD]”k^Am
kAm!2F= ;@:?D {@D p?86=6D {2<6CD DFA6CDE2C {6qC@? y2>6D 2D 24E:G6 c_\J62C\@=5D 😕 E96 }qp]k^Am
kAm“xEVD 8@:?8 E@ 36 4@@=[” 96 D2:5] “xEVD 2 =@E @7 8C2E:EF56 E@ DE:== 86E 2 492?46 E@ A=2J 2E E9:D 286]”k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmp! }qpi k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?32Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?32k^2mk^Am
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.