Blake Griffin is not hiding his “disappointment” in the Los Angeles Clippers for their treatment of franchise legend Chris Paul.
The Clippers parted ways with Paul on Wednesday — news the Clippers legend shared in the wee hours of the morning. The move did sit well with Paul’s former Clippers co-star, Blake Griffin, who was vocal on Friday’s NBA on Prime pregame show about the “disappointment” he felt in the Clippers franchise.
“I’m just disappointed, to be honest. I can’t really think of another word. … I’m disappointed for Chris Paul, but I’m disappointed in the Clippers organization,” Griffin said. “Chris Paul was a guy who came to the Clippers when DeAndre and I were first and second-year guys. He brought a winning culture. He taught us how to operate in the NBA, and how to take every game seriously, and how to take your body seriously. That there was no detail that was too small.
“And we weren’t perfect. We didn’t ultimately win a championship. I know that. I’m reminded of it every day. CP and I didn’t always see eye to eye. But I’m disappointed because we got a franchise that was synonymous with jokes. You heard the Clippers, and you heard ‘cursed.’ Again, we didn’t win a championship, but we did create a culture and an environment that people respected. Every year, we knew the Clippers were going to be competitive.”
Griffin also shared what he felt was the “biggest reason” for his disappointment with the team.
“Re-signing with the Clippers, this was supposed to be his moment,” Griffin added. “Coming back to L.A., I’m giving it one last go. For him to not get to walk out on his own terms from the franchise he chose to go to to end his career, is extremely disappointing.
“I think the biggest reason I’m disappointed is what Chris said. No communication with Ty Lue, and, even more than that, … no communication with Steve Ballmer. That’s the disappointing thing for me.”
The Clippers’ trade for Paul in 2011 sparked the most successful run in the franchise’s dreary history.
After decades of irrelevance, Paul and Griffin helped turn the team into a perennial playoff contender. Their six straight playoff runs together from 2012 to 2017 nearly matched the team’s seven postseason appearances over the previous four decades.
Griffin understandably felt that their contributions to the franchise were being forgotten, given how the team treated Paul, who reportedly had a rift with the Clippers’ brain trust.
This season was supposed to be Paul’s farewell tour before retirement. While it remains to be seen what Paul’s next move will be, he does not sound ready to retire early just yet.
Paul played in 16 games for the Clippers this season, posting averages of 2.9 points and 3.3 assists in just 14.3 minutes per contest.
