Chris Paul was a member of the Los Angeles Clippers for six seasons, all of which resulted in playoff appearances in the NBA’s competitive Western Conference. Now he’s a member of the Houston Rockets after a shocking trade went down Wednesday morning.
He was the best player on the court all six years for the franchise, is one of the best distributors in the game and has been one of the best two-way guards in the Association. This is seen in the fact that Paul has been named to the NBA’s All-Defense First Team all six years with the Clippers.
So you’d think the Clippers might have some nice things to say about the guy on his way out the door. Not so.
In the team’s official press release detailing the trade that sent Paul to the Rockets, the Clippers only mentioned his name once. Furthermore, there were no quotes from owner Steve Balmer or head coach Doc Rivers.
Clippers' press release has no quotes from Doc Rivers or Steve Ballmer on Chris Paul's time with franchise. pic.twitter.com/648unDHEg3
— RealGM (@RealGM) June 28, 2017
Now, it’s understandable that some level of frustration might be at play here. It’s been reported that Paul can’t stand Rivers because he wouldn’t trade his son, Austin Rivers, to help the Clippers land Carmelo Anthony in a trade last season, and that the team felt Doc gave Austin preferential treatment.
Furthermore, it can’t feel good knowing the team you’ve built up is falling apart at the seams. Blake Griffin might also be on his way out of town, too, after opting out of his contract.
That said, the Clippers should have issued some sort of quote in that press release to thank Paul for his excellent service. Not doing so is the organization’s way of saying, “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”