Chris Paul has spoken out for the first time since his unexpected breakup with the Clippers. The 40-year-old, who returned to the team on a one-year, $3.6 million deal for his final NBA season, shared on Instagram in the early hours of December 3, “I just found out I’m being sent home,” accompanied by a peace sign emoji. The Clippers have confirmed the split with Paul, though the official details are still yet to be finalized.
In an interview on Tuesday, Paul opened up about the situation, mentioning a silver lining to his current uncertainty while he waits for a resolution.
“Things have been a little weird the last few days, to say the least,” he remarked. But he also noted, “I’m home right now. My daughter had a tryout yesterday. My nephew had a basketball game. My son has a game on the 12th.”
“I’ve never seen my son play in person. It’s not exactly middle school or high school, but I’m really looking forward to it,” he shared.
Paul expressed that he feels “no regrets” about announcing the situation. He reflected, “I was in Atlanta with my whole family. This is the last time I’m going to play there. That’s life. Everything has taken on a life of its own. But I’m excited to be back here with my family.”
According to ESPN, some team executives found Paul’s strong leadership style to be troublesome. Chris Haynes reported that head coach Ty Lue “refused to meet” with the 12-time All-Star when he attempted to address claims that Paul was becoming a problematic presence.
After the Clippers announced the end of Paul’s tenure, Lue commented, “It didn’t work out the way we thought it would. I just don’t think he fit what we were looking for. That’s the way it is.”
“Do I want to see CP go into a game like this? No, I have a lot of respect for him. He’s been a friend of mine for a long time. You never want to see a great match like this. But I’m sure he’ll find something, because he’s a great player. … I didn’t want to see it end like this,” Lue added.
Haynes also reported a confrontation between Paul and former Knicks head coach Jeff Van Gundy on a team plane shortly before the split regarding adjustments to defensive assignments.
Interestingly, Stephen Bondi noted that the Knicks had considered transitioning Paul to a backup point guard role before the separation.
“Actually, I am at peace with everything,” Paul remarked. “More than anything, I’m excited to be here and have the opportunity to play a small role in whatever happens next.”
