Chris Paul has opened up about the bleak truth he learned following his unceremonious exit from the Los Angeles Clippers organization.
Paul signed with the Clippers for the 2025-26 season in what was supposed to be the swan song of his 21-year NBA career. He announced in November that he was retiring at season’s end. But just a month later, the Clippers sent Paul home amid reports of a rift between him and head coach Tyronn Lue.
Paul was eventually traded to the Toronto Raptors, who waived the veteran point guard. Instead of ending his career with the Clippers like he wanted, CP3 left the NBA feeling disrespected by the very team he helped carry out of irrelevance.
The 12-time All-Star spoke up about the entire ordeal in a recent appearance on the “Build or Break” podcast
“It’s probably one of the most disrespectful things that I’ve endured,” Paul told host Daniel Lubetzky.
“I’ve been through a lot of wild stuff throughout my career, and having older kids and a wife who’s very tapped in. They know the daily goings-on as far as that team and that organization. Obviously, I was upset. But my family, my people, everybody [was more upset]. Just because of the investment in the team for as long as we have, and to see the way stuff was handled.
“What it lets you know is that no matter what you do or what you’ve done, nobody cares. Seriously, nobody cares. Nobody cares, and it teaches you.”
The Clippers remain the only team in the NBA without a retired jersey hanging in their home arena rafters. Paul may still end up being the franchise’s first name up there at Intuit Dome, but it wouldn’t be as sweet a moment as it should be because of his messy exit.
The Clippers seem to have a penchant for tarnishing their relationships with franchise superstars. Kawhi Leonard was trending toward becoming another candidate for his jersey to be retired down the line. But that may no longer be the case after the NBA hit the Clippers with one of the most severe punishments in NBA history earlier this week.
