Chris Paul is trying to stretch plausible deniability to its absolute limits.
The retired former LA Clippers guard Paul appeared Friday on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show.” During the appearance, Paul addressed the viral post that he made after the Clippers were eliminated from playoff contention this year with a play-in tournament loss to the Golden State Warriors.
Paul took to Instagram after the Clippers’ defeat to post a famous Internet meme used to celebrate someone else’s downfall. You can see the screenshot of Paul’s post here.
On Friday though, Paul tried to claim that the post was just a coincidence. The 12-time NBA All-Star said that he was actually playing a card game with his family that night and posted the meme simply to celebrate his win.
Chris Paul says he posted the meme because he won a card game, not because of the Clippers’ elimination
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 1, 2026
(@PatMcAfeeShow / h/t @ohnohedidnt24 ) pic.twitter.com/xfRkU84tSR
Of course, that is a rather laughable claim from Paul, especially considering that he shared the meme just minutes after the Clippers were eliminated. That said, he can still get an “A” for effort with his attempted excuse there.
The 40-year-old Paul beefed with the Clippers this season in his second career stint with the team, feuding with multiple coaches before finally being sent home by the team in December. Given that even Paul’s wife was taking petty shots at the Clippers afterwards, it seems very likely that Paul’s meme post had some extra meaning to it … beyond just a family game of cards.
