Earlier this year, NBA point guard Chris Paul stated that this would be his last season in the league, before making a triumphant return to the team he led for six years, the Los Angeles Clippers. However, the Clippers gave him an early exit from the franchise after cutting him during the team’s recent road trip.
At 3 a.m. on Dec. 3, the veteran alerted the world that he was being “sent home” by the
Clippers while the team was in Atlanta, ending his storied Clippers career in a way that no one could have predicted. In a now-deleted social media post, the world found out that Paul had played his last game for the franchise.“Just Found Out I’m Being Sent Home”
The team’s top executive, Lawrence Frank, President of Basketball Operations, released a statement confirming the release.
“We are parting ways with Chris, and he will no longer be a part of the team,” Lawrence said in a written statement. “We will work with him on the next step of his career. Chris is a legendary Clipper who has had a historic career. I want to make one thing very clear. No one is blaming Chris for our underperformance. I accept responsibility for the record we have right now. There are a lot of reasons why we’ve struggled. We’re grateful for the impact Chris has made on the franchise.”
The Clippers are having an awful season, with a losing record of 5-16. Although the team is doing poorly, it can’t be blamed on Paul, as he is not a starter and was averaging a career-low 2.9 points and 3.3 assists while playing only 14 minutes a game off the bench.
NBA reporter Chris Haynes did state that the player was being labeled a “negative presence” on the team and wanted to meet with the team’s coach, Tyronn Lue, but was denied that opportunity before Frank met with the point guard.
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