As impressive as Chris Paul 's time with the Lob City Los Angeles Clippers was, his departure in 2017 was bittersweet. Paul would often say that his partnership with Blake Griffin and Co. ran its course, but their head coach, Doc Rivers , once said that CP3 rubbed off his teammates the wrong way by the end of his tenure with the Clippers.
" I thought when Chris rubbed guys the worst was when he messed up," Rivers said as reported by ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan. "Because when you mess up, you gotta take it. I didn't really think he did. But overall, he's a damn smart point guard, and you never have a problem coaching that ."
CP3 doesn’t think so
Paul, who was initially supposed to go to the Los Angeles Lakers until the trade was vetoed , was in his prime years during his Clippers tenure. On a team that had a rising superstar in Blake Griffin, a big man in DeAndre Jordan, along with solid role players like JJ Redick , Matt Barnes, and sixth man Jamal Crawford, it was the “Point God” who rightfully took on the leadership role.
In fairness to Paul, the Clippers were contending for those six years, but they never really got over the hump. Perhaps the tipping point happened in 2015 when the Lob City squad went up 3-1 against the Houston Rockets in the semifinals, only to blow it in seven games. They tried to give it a go for one more year after that, but chemistry issues and injuries hampered their chances.
" I'm sure I'm a tough leader," Paul said in response to Rivers. "But if I'm so bad to play with, then how come Luc and J.J. wanted to be here [Houston] with me?" (Says Redick: "Is Chris tough to play with? Yes, in the sense that there's an edge to the way he plays, and if you have a different personality, it can grind at you a little bit. I always liked it .")
Related: Shaq on the difference between Pat Riley and Phil Jackson: “In the long run, if you have a little more humor, you can get more done”
One big miss
By 2017, the 12-time All-Star left the Clippers to team up with James Harden on the Houston Rockets because he felt it was a better fit for him. Paul’s comments suggest he no longer wanted to stay with Griffin and Jordan, which aligns with role player Dahntay Jones's recent remarks.
“CP and Blake Griffin were all playing well, but you could see the rift in personalities. De’Andre and Blake were called ‘The Twins.’ They were on one side, CP was on the other, and it just didn’t mix,” Dahntay shared on “Podcast P.”
CP3 made the right decision to move on, recognizing that his time with the Clippers had run its course. Despite elevating the franchise and being the most fun team to watch in ages, the Lob City era will forever be seen as a missed opportunity for the Clipps.
Related: Chris Paul on being a huge fan of Isiah Thomas early in his career: "Isaiah was one of those players who went out every night to win"
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