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Owner Steve Ballmer of the Los Angeles Clippers greets Chris Paul #3 after the Clippers defeated the San Antonio Spurs in Game Seven of the Western Conference quarterfinals of the 2015 NBA Playoffs
The LA Clippers have evoked the wrath of the NBA world for their treatment of Chris Paul, one of the 75 greatest players in league history. On Tuesday night, the Clippers sent Paul home just days after the legendary point guard announced that the 2025-26 season would be his last.
Sports Illustrated’s Farbod Esnaashari, who has covered the Clippers beat for several years, felt the move was a “very bad look” for the Steve Ballmer-owned franchise.
“Operating with the current information we have, releasing CP3 in this manner is a very bad look,” wrote the Clippers beat writer.
“It’s a bad look from a player’s perspective, a franchise legacy perspective, and even worse, from a fan’s perspective. Giving your own fans a reason to be more upset during an already historically bad season is unbelievable.”
Operating with the current information we have, releasing CP3 in this manner is a very bad look.
It’s a bad look from a player’s perspective, a franchise legacy perspective, and even worse, from a fan’s perspective. Giving your own fans a reason to be more upset during an
Elsewhere, popular NBA content creator Brawadis called the Clippers “a trash organization” for not allowing Chris Paul a proper farewell season.
“Clippers are a trash organization for releasing an ALL TIME GREAT in his retirement season,” he wrote. “He chose to come back & play for YOUR TEAM to finish off his career, & you cut him mid season? Respect the man who did so much for your franchise. Cp3 literally made the clippers relevant.”
‘Classless’ Clippers
NBA writer Joey Linn highlighted that the Clippers similarly did Blake Griffin dirty when they traded him to Detroit shortly after promising to retire his jersey.
“Sure, the NBA is a business and there are decisions that need to be made without emotion involved…But the Clippers have 0 retired jerseys. Blake Griffin and Chris Paul are the two greatest players in franchise history.
“Blake was shipped to Detroit just months after getting a mock jersey retirement ceremony, and given zero heads up he was being moved. CP3 was released in the middle of the night, 21 games into his retirement tour. Not being able to end things differently with your two franchise GOATs is a terrible look.”
Sure, the NBA is a business and there are decisions that need to be made without emotion involved…
But the Clippers have 0 retired jerseys. Blake Griffin and Chris Paul are the two greatest players in franchise history.
Blake was shipped to Detroit just months after getting a
Pranav Sriraman called the Clippers “pathetic” for their decision.
Unless it was mutual the Clippers are scummy for that. Letting the best player in your franchise history go out sad is pathetic all for the means of trying to compete when your team sucks anyways give him a proper farewell tour.
‘Wanted to Retire a Clipper’
The Sporting Tribune’s Arash Markazi, who has covered Chris Paul for years, reported that the 40-year-old specifically chose the Clippers as a free agent this past offseason so he could retire with them.
“Chris Paul wanted to retire a Clipper,” wrote Markazi. “Five months after coming home, the Clippers released him in the middle of the night.”
Blake Griffin wanted to retire a Clipper. Seven months after signing a five-year, $171 million deal to stay in L.A., the Clippers traded him to Detroit.
Chris Paul wanted to retire a Clipper. Five months after coming home, the Clippers released him in the middle of the night.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne praised the franchise for thanking Paul in their statement, but was dumbfounded by the decision to send him home.
“Stunning development with the Clippers sending franchise legend Chris Paul home tonight. Obviously he’s been in and out of Tyronn Lue’s rotation this year. But sending any player home, let alone a player of Paul’s stature in the league and with the franchise, is quite a move,” she wrote.
Polymarket Sport’s LEEZUS called the Clippers “classless” for their actions, specifically for not informing Paul of their decision beforehand.
“[Expletive] the clippers btw. He did so much for your franchise and you release him and he doesn’t even know about it? After he announced he was retiring after the year anyways? Classless,” he wrote.
Chris Paul was not in the know about the Clippers’ decision to send him home. He hinted on social media that he found out the news along with the rest of the world.
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
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