In a stunning middle-of-the-night move, former Golden State Warrior Chris Paul has been sent home by the Los Angeles Clippers, as first officially reported by Senior NBA Insider Chris Haynes.
However, Paul’s departure from the Clippers was first alluded to via an Instagram story post from Paul himself:
The Clippers also released a statement concerning their decision to part ways with Paul, considered one of the greatest players in franchise history:
The 5-16 Clippers have had a rough start to the season, to put it mildly. Paul isn’t anywhere close to being part of the problem, with his veteran leadership one of the few bright spots in an otherwise troubled season.
Paul has previously alluded to his season being his last. In addition to being a 12-time All-Star, an 11-time All-NBA selection, a nine-time All-Defense selection, and a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Paul is the only player in history to have recorded 20,000 points and 10,000 assists. His 12,552 career assists is second only to John Stockton’s 15,806.
Before joining them in a trade that sent Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards, Paul was a heated rival of the Warriors, facing them in several playoff series during his time as a Clipper and as a Houston Rocket. His one-year tenure with the Warriors was ultimately unsuccessful.
Suffice to say, despite what you may think of Paul, being unceremoniously cut in this manner — considering his stature as a surefire Hall of Famer and one of the greatest point guards to have played the game of basketball (behind Steph Curry, of course) — isn’t a good look for the Clippers.
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