A Los Angeles Clippers legend is going out on messy terms.
The team is parting ways with Chris Paul, it announced overnight on Wednesday.
Paul and head coach Tyronn Lue had not been on speaking terms for weeks over a clash in leadership styles prior to the split, ESPN's Shams Charania reported.
Team president Lawrence Frank said the move was not made to blame Paul for the team's slow start in a Zoom call with reporters.
"We're 5-16. I completely own that. I'm not putting that on Chris Paul at all. This is not a situation where I'm using Chris as a scapegoat for the job that I've done. Chris' legacy with us stands. This situation just didn't work out at this time," Frank said.
Paul had been vocal in holding management accountable amid a 5-16 start, good for 14th in the conference, per Charania. The Clippers felt Paul's outspokenness was becoming disruptive.
Paul requested a meeting with Lue to discuss allegations that he was a negative locker-room presence, but Lue refused the meeting, per NBA insider Chris Haynes.
Frank then flew to Atlanta to deliver the news to Paul, who had desired his last season to be with the Clippers, in person.
The 40-year-old Paul signed a one-year deal to return to the Clippers prior to the season. He announced before the season that he was retiring at the end of this season. He has averaged 14.3 minutes and 2.9 points per game in 16 games.
One of the most impactful two-way guards in league history, Paul has 12 all-star, 11 all-NBA and nine all-defensive selections to his name. He is also a five-time assist and a six-time steals champion, and was named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team, chosen in 2021.
Paul, drafted fourth overall in 2005 by the New Orleans Hornets, is the only player remaining from his draft class. He was named rookie of the year after turning an 18-win team the prior season into a 38-win team in his first NBA campaign.
His ability to elevate teams would be a common thread over his long and storied campaign, over which he averaged 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 9.2 assists and two steals en route to a surefire Hall of Fame spot.
Paul split his time with the Hornets, Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors, and made the playoffs in 15 of his 20 seasons.
However, a championship has always eluded him. The closest he came was in 2021, when his Suns lost in six games to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals.
Paul sits second all-time in career assists and career steals, behind only John Stockton in both categories.
— With files from the Associated Press
