ESPN In-Depth Report: Inside Story of Paul’s Breakup with the Clippers, His Biggest Supporters Are Kawhi and Lopez

On December 16th Beijing time, ESPN insider Shelburne unveiled the dramatic fallout between Paul and the Clippers. What really transpired? The full story follows —

Chris Paul, after being unexpectedly sent back by the team and entering an uncertain phase in his basketball journey, boarded a private plane from Atlanta to Los Angeles early the following morning, with reliable internet access during the flight.

Just hours earlier, Clippers president Frank informed Paul that the team would part ways with their franchise’s greatest player — a decision coming after only 21 games, far from the expected farewell tour that fans had imagined.

However, this season has turned into a disaster both for the 40-year-old future Hall of Fame point guard and the team. The Clippers were sitting 14th in the Western Conference with a 5-16 record.

The entire league was abuzz and puzzled. What went so wrong that the Clippers had to urgently send Paul home overnight during an away trip? Why did the situation deteriorate so quickly that the team couldn’t even wait a week, insisting on making the decision before returning home?

This decision baffled many in the NBA, including Blake Griffin, who had rarely communicated with Paul since the end of the “Lob City” era in 2017.

Even at their best, Griffin and Paul’s relationship was somewhat distant. But in recent years, signs of thawing appeared: they praised each other publicly, and last season when Paul moved up to second on the NBA’s all-time assists list, Griffin even appeared in a tribute video.

On the morning Paul flew home, Griffin sent him a text. He knew he might be the only one who truly understood Paul’s feelings — both had been coldly discarded by the team that once revered them.

Once the plane landed, Paul called Griffin. The two then video-called DeAndre Jordan, the third key member of “Lob City.”

This was their first reunion since splitting eight years ago.Back then, Paul was traded to the Rockets, and Griffin was surprisingly traded to the Pistons just six months after signing a max contract extension, marking the end of that glorious era.

The emotional bond forged through shared setbacks dissolved all barriers between them, a deeply ironic moment they all understood. Paul posted a screenshot of their video call on Instagram, showing the three former Clippers smiling and joking about the absurd situation.

Now Griffin has retired and transitioned to a flourishing TV career; Jordan is nearing the end of his playing days as a reserve for the struggling New Orleans Pelicans. Paul had hoped to finish his career peacefully with the Clippers until Frank’s words the previous night shattered that illusion — the team’s decision to send him away was final, rendering all his pleas to stay powerless. What should have been a heartfelt story ended in regret.

The root cause of this outcome was a combination of misjudgments, poor communication, and the team’s dreadful on-court performance.— it’s worth noting this team was once considered a dark horse in the star-studded Western Conference.

Initially, everyone’s intentions were good: a distinct future Hall of Famer longing to return to his old team for one last ride; a team heavily invested in Kawhi Leonard but with limited success, having reached the conference finals only once in six years, hoping their former leader could fill a long-standing leadership void.

But in the NBA, endings are rarely graceful or calm. This time, for both player and team, the trigger for the fallout was the most destructive elements in sports: mutual misunderstanding and internal chaos.

Paul’s return to Los Angeles was perhaps doomed from the start; this outcome might also foreshadow a tougher road ahead for the Clippers.

According to several insiders, the 90-minute call between Paul, Griffin, and Jordan was mostly Paul trying to process and understand what led the Clippers to ultimately abandon him.

Previously, Paul had multiple disputes with head coach Tyronn Lue and notable conflicts with lead assistant Jeff Van Gundy.He also held several meetings with Lawrence Frank, who urged him to spread positive vibes and avoid actions deemed “divisive” by the team.

“It wasn’t triggered by a single incident,” an insider said, “this is nothing like JR Smith’s soup incident in Cleveland.”

However, multiple sources said that when Paul joined as a free agent on a one-year $3.6 million deal this summer, there was a significant misunderstanding about his role.

Sources revealed the team envisioned Paul as a veteran leader who wouldn’t require much management and would stay at the end of the bench.

Although stars James Harden and Kawhi Leonard performed at an elite level and were well-respected, neither was a vocal leader. Paul was the only one fitting that leadership role, which was a major reason for signing him.

In the official announcement of Paul’s signing, Frank clearly stated Paul would serve as a “bench” player.Sources said Frank emphasized to several players that Paul’s playing time would be very limited, which worried some players concerned about their own roles.

During multiple summer discussions, Paul, who started all 82 games last season for the Spurs, said he accepted the role outlined by the team but stressed he wanted to compete and serve as an extension of the coaching staff to help the team function.

The reunion began with aligned intentions. Sources said Paul flew from Springfield, Massachusetts, after attending Cameron Anthony’s Hall of Fame induction, directly to Phoenix for the team’s offseason training camp, practicing with Harden and others. Back in Los Angeles, he invited teammates to train at his facility or watch Rams games from his private suite at SoFi Stadium.

At media day, amid the team’s salary cap violation investigation, Paul was put in the spotlight and spoke with credibility. This role seemed to be the team’s original intention in bringing him back.

But when Paul began fulfilling his duties, the Clippers’ attitude seemed to retreat.Sources said when Paul offered training advice to a player, the team warned him not to overstep and interfere with the coaching staff; when he pushed teammates on and off the court or directed tactics, some players and coaches complained his style was too aggressive.

“Chris has always been like this,” said a front office member from another team. “He pressures you relentlessly, convinced he’s right — and often he is — which is even more frustrating. He’ll talk to everyone until they agree with him.”

These conflicts intensified during training camp becausePaul quickly stood out, leading the second unit to impressive performances, often beating the starters.

“We crushed the starters,” forward John Collins recalled to ESPN recently, “In daily scrimmages, we dominated them.”

In preseason, Paul averaged 19 minutes, 8.3 points, and 5.3 assists per game, far exceeding the role initially agreed upon in the summer.

“I think Tyronn Lue messed up here,” an insider said, “This playing time gave Chris more influence and completely changed his expectations.”

Lue admired Paul’s competitiveness, and Paul performed well in limited minutes. With Leonard, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Bradley Beal injured before the season, the team needed Paul to step up.

Multiple sources noted that from this point, internal rifts began and deepened.

“If they only wanted a cheerleader on the sidelines,” the earlier front office member said bluntly, “why sign Chris Paul? They worked with him before and should know who he is.” After the season-opening blowout loss to Utah, Paul tried to gather players for a postgame review.

In other teams, this would be routine, but sources said the Clippers’ locker room was generally quiet — even after wins — especially with many veterans and experienced coaches present. Paul’s efforts to foster communication yielded little result.

Days later, after beating the Pelicans, Paul and his wife hosted a Halloween party at the Inglewood Arena club for players and staff. Sources said Paul organized it to build team culture. Though few players attended, Frank and others praised the gesture.

Yet after that, the Clippers entered a nearly two-week losing streak.

During this slump, the team lost three times to Paul’s former teams — twice to the Suns and once to the Thunder.Sources said Paul questioned the coaching staff about why his input was never sought when preparing strategies against these opponents, especially their stars Booker and Alexander.

But others viewed Paul’s question or how he raised it as unconstructive.

In the November 7th away game against the Suns, with Harden and Leonard both out, Paul was benched after halftime and didn’t return to play.

The next morning, Paul arrived early at the training facility for extra practice.

The first person he met was Frank, and they decided to have a talk. Sources said Paul expressed concerns about the team’s culture, noting the group chat was silent for years and players rarely interacted off the court.

Frank bluntly told Paul his leadership style didn’t fit the team’s needs — instead of helping, it was seen as disruptive to team stability.

Later that day, Paul and Lue spoke on the phone for 40 minutes. This was their last substantive conversation before Paul was sent home on December 2nd (sources say all subsequent communication was brief or via text).

At the start of the call, Paul questioned Lue about being benched at halftime the previous night, despite the Clippers leading by 3 points at that time but eventually losing by 13.

Paul suggested organizing a leaders’ meeting and increasing practice on off days, but Lue countered that Paul was too harsh in his words toward players and coaches and needed to acknowledge and take responsibility.

This call, meant to address team issues and clarify roles, ended inconclusively. Later, Lue informed Paul he was removed from the rotation.

Lue didn’t explain much, but the Clippers’ defense was already porous — a system that ranked top five last season was now vulnerable against young, fast-transition opponents. The team had to act to break the slump.

On November 9th against the Suns, tension on the bench flared. For unknown reasons, Paul and Van Gundy sat side by side, marking Paul’s fifth consecutive game labeled as “coach’s decision to not play.”

They sat silently for a long time until Paul broke the awkwardness with a sarcastic question asking Van Gundy if he didn’t want to talk. Witnesses said Van Gundy scoffed and questioned Paul’s sincerity.

The next day, Paul had another long talk with Frank at the training facility. Sources revealedFrank issued Paul a “final warning,” cautioning him not to cause further division within the team.On the same day, Paul also had a tense conversation with Van Gundy, attempting to resolve the previous night’s conflict and longstanding differences.

Both meetings ended relatively peacefully, and Paul requested to speak with the entire team, which was approved. Frank also promised to arrange another meeting between Paul and Lue.

On November 12th, following a loss to the Atlanta Hawks, Paul publicly apologized to the team, admitting if his past words or actions had been too negative or divisive, he was sorry.

However, this brief reconciliation didn’t last long.

The Clippers finished November with a dismal 2-13 record. Even after Paul rejoined the rotation and Leonard returned from injury, the team’s decline continued.

During this tough period, on November 23rd, Paul officially announced this season would be his last, turning the remainder into a farewell tour. He had wanted to inform owner Steve Ballmer before the announcement, but sources said they only connected afterward, marking their final conversation.

The Clippers planned a tribute video for Paul, but he felt it was inappropriate amid the losing streak. Nevertheless, on November 29th, before Paul’s third-to-last game with the team, the tribute was released as scheduled.

The video caption read that Paul would “end his Hall of Fame career in the city where he once played.”

But less than four days later, this heartfelt message turned to dust.

On December 1st, during the flight to Miami, tensions between Paul and Van Gundy exploded.

The trigger was the previous night’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks — the Clippers’ seventh loss in eight games. Paul openly questioned the coaching staff’s management of Leonard’s minutes in the fourth quarter. Leonard had just been freed from minute restrictions and was defending the hot-shooting, off-ball moving Klay Thompson, which drained his energy, Paul argued.

Van Gundy accused Paul of unilaterally changing the team’s defensive strategy without staff approval.

Paul responded he only “suggested” adjusting Leonard’s defensive assignments, as Leonard had reached his minute limit.

According to multiple witnesses, to prove his point, Paul walked down the plane aisle to Leonard and Chris Dunn, asking if he had merely suggested or directly changed the defense.

Both players confirmed Paul had only made a suggestion. This incident was later brought up by other players on the flight and reached the coaches and management.

That very night, team executives made a final decision — they had reached their limit.

“Even at his peak, this guy was a headache,” said a front office member from another team. “Now, he’s nowhere near his prime.”

Frank wanted to deliver the decision to Paul in person, planning either before Tuesday’s game against the Heat or after Wednesday’s arrival in Atlanta.

Frank ultimately chose Atlanta, but due to a six-hour flight delay in Miami and a subsequent loss there, the meeting was postponed. Around 11 p.m. at the Four Seasons Hotel, Frank officially informed Paul the team decided to send him home.Sources said Frank also expressed a desire to coordinate the release of an official statement with Paul and mentioned the Clippers still hoped to retire Paul’s jersey in the future..

Sources revealed Paul was shocked by the decision and tried to argue his case, even calling teammate Brook Lopez to testify on his behalf.

Sources said Lopez and Leonard were the two strongest supporters of Paul on the team.Paul also reminded Frank that he had requested a meeting with Lue, which never materialized. Frank acknowledged this but remained firm — the decision was final and irreversible.

With this, Paul’s Clippers chapter came to a definitive end.

In the days after being sent home, Paul stayed at home awaiting either a trade or contract buyout. He has been training at the team’s old Playa Vista facility, recently acquired by the NBA Players Association, which he chaired from 2013 to 2021. He also attended the NBA Cup semifinals between the Spurs and Thunder, two of his former teams.

Though public debate about Paul’s departure has quieted, one question lingers: why did the Clippers choose this moment and such a harsh method, willing to face criticism and scrutiny?

“Honestly, I’m not a big fan of his,” one source admitted, “but he’s no unknown in the G League. He’s Chris Paul. The team could have handled this more respectfully, preserving his dignity.”

In Paul’s first game absence, the Clippers beat the Hawks 115-92, ending their slump. But the good times were short-lived, as they soon lost to the Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Houston Rockets. On Tuesday’s home game, they fell 103-121 to the Grizzlies, dropping to 6-20.

This Friday, they will face the top-ranked Thunder, boasting a 24-2 record.

Every matchup between the Clippers and Thunder recalls the trade that altered both teams’ trajectories. Thunder star and last season’s regular season and Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was once a Clipper; Thunder All-Star swingman Jalen Williams’ draft pick came from the 2019 Clippers trade for Paul George, now widely seen as disastrous.

Worse still, as part of that trade, the Clippers’ 2026 first-round pick is unprotected and will go directly to the Thunder. This means every additional loss this season increases the chance of losing a high lottery pick to the defending champions — the Clippers had maintained a winning record for 14 consecutive seasons previously.

This situation is unacceptable to anyone. The team’s current dilemma is also tough — with two aging superstars leading a roster that is slow, aging, and often outmatched, the challenge to revive the team is clear. However, management believes recent defensive improvements could help win more games going forward.

But ultimately, Paul’s departure left the locker room much quieter.

“He holds himself to extremely high standards,” Collins said, “He’s a natural leader, always focused on the team, wanting everyone around him to be their best. He demands excellence and expects others to strive for it too.”

“No doubt, it’s much quieter in the locker room since he left.”

Paul’s world has also grown quieter. After leaving, many teammates sent supportive messages, especially Leonard, who stayed in close contact. But those who decided to push him out — Ballmer, Van Gundy, Frank, and Lue — have remained silent.

After a recent Clippers practice, a reporter asked Lue why he hadn’t reached out to the former team point guard.

Lue’s reply was blunt and brief: “Yeah, but he hasn’t called me either.”