The Los Angeles Clippers shocked the NBA world last Wednesday by waiving future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Paul’s commitment to holding members of the organization accountable following their disappointing start to the year contributed to Los Angeles’ stunning roster decision.
More interestingly, Charania noted that Paul and head coach Ty Lue weren’t ‘on speaking terms’, which is a report that Lue recently clapped back at with a three-word claim.
“That ain’t true,” Lue said Tuesday before revealing the truth.
“How he gonna play and I’m not talking to him? There was a stretch when he wasn’t gonna play and be out of the rotation, it was tough for him because he’s a competitor.”
Paul’s second tenure with the Clippers was miserable in every way imaginable.
While the Wake Forest product likely didn’t expect to be the premier contributor on Los Angeles’ squad, it’s reasonable to assume he wasn't expecting to average 2.9 points and 3.3 assists per game while playing less than 15 minutes.
One could argue that the Clippers did Paul a massive favor. With Lue having little to no trust in Paul and Los Angeles looking lost early on, Paul didn’t have much of a chance to succeed.
Now that the 12-time All-Star has exited the chaotic Western Conference environment, he can take some time to enjoy the things and people he cares about the most.
“My son has a game coming up on the 12th,” Paul told People’s Jordan Greene on Tuesday.
“I have never seen my son play a game in person. Not a middle school game, not a high school game. So I’m excited about seeing him play."
It’s safe to say Paul is in a good place after his premature Clippers exit.
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