The former Clippers point guard said he feels “at ease about everything” after last week’s game.
“Things have been a little crazy the last few days, to say the least,” he said in an interview published Tuesday. “But to be honest, I’m home right now. My daughter had a tryout yesterday. My nephew had a basketball game. My son has a game on the 12th.”
Paul’s son, Chris Paul II, is a sophomore guard for the Campbell Hall University basketball team, which plays against Newbury Park on Friday.
“I have never seen my son play in person,” the elder Paul said. “It’s not a middle school game, it’s not a high school game. So I’m looking forward to watching him play.”
Also Tuesday, the Clippers coach denied statements made last week that he and Paul had not spoken in the weeks leading up to the team’s decision to part ways with one of its most iconic players.
“That’s not true. We were just talking,” he said while practicing. “I mean, he played. If I didn’t talk to him, how was he going to play?”
“So when we said he wasn’t going to play, he was going to be out of the rotation, it was a stretch at one point. It was tough for him because he’s a competitor and what the game means to him and what he brings every day. But then it wasn’t that big of an issue.”
Paul is a 12-time All-Star, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, and ranks second in NBA history with 12,552 assists. He became the first player to score at least 20,000 points and 10,000 assists.
Playing for the Clippers from 2011 to 2017 — — Paul and his fellow superstars led the team to six winning seasons, winning its first two Pacific Division titles and three playoff series wins. As a 40-year-old free agent in July, Paul signed for his 21st NBA season.
This season, Paul averaged career lows in points (2.6), assists (3.3) and minutes played (14.3). In mid-November, he missed five consecutive games. The Clippers, who are off to a dismal 5-16 start to the season, were in Atlanta for a game against the Hawks when Paul made the surprise announcement on social media.
“I just found out I’m being sent home,” Paul posted on social media around 3 a.m. ET on Dec. 3.
Later that morning, the Clippers’ president of basketball operations confirmed the move.
“We are parting ways with Chris. He is no longer part of the team,” Frank said in a statement. “We look forward to working with him on the next steps in his career.”
Frank indicated the team will try to trade Paul when he becomes trade-eligible on Monday.
A league official not authorized to discuss the matter publicly told the Times last week that Paul had called out his teammates, coach and Frank this season. Paul apologized, but “everyone was fed up,” the source said.
Ms Lu insisted on Tuesday that her relationship with Paul was not an issue.
“I had no problems with Chris,” Lu said. “He’s a competitor and he wants to play, and I understand that. So he was a little frustrated at first, but we got through it. … That’s my guy, my friend from before he got here. So I wouldn’t want to see something like that happen to anyone under any circumstances.”
When asked why the team ultimately decided the situation with Paul couldn’t be resolved, Lue said, “You’ll have to ask Lawrence.”
In an interview with People, Paul didn’t say anything about what happened between him and the Clippers. Instead, he seems focused on the present and the future. “I’m excited to be back here with my family,” Paul said.
“More than anything, I’m excited to be here and have the opportunity to play a small role in what happens next,” he said.
Staff writer Broderick Turner contributed to this report.
