Ty Lue breaks silence on Clippers’ shocking breakup with Chris Paul originally appeared on The Sporting News. Click here to add Sports News as your go-to source.
As the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Atlanta Hawks 115-92 on Wednesday night, Ty Lue weighed in on the team’s shocking decision to part ways with Chris Paul in his final season in the league.
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“I just don’t think it’s a good fit for what he wants,” Lue said. “Here’s the thing. Do I want to see CP go out like this? No. I have a lot of respect for him. He’s been a friend of mine for years. You never want to see a great guy go out like this. But I’m pretty sure he’s going to find something because he’s a great player… I don’t want to see it end like this.”
Lue was diplomatic in front of the media, but things were not all good behind the scenes. A report from ESPN’s Shams Charania states that Paul and Lue haven’t spoken in weeks.
Another report from Chris Haynes indicated that Lue recently refused to meet with Paul due to accusations that the latter was a “negative influence” on the team. As a result, the relationship between coach and player has clearly broken down.
In addition to Lue, Clippers star guard James Harden also spoke to the media about Paul’s departure.
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“I’m just as confused and shocked as you guys are and as shocked as the world is,” Harden said. “It does surprise me. But it’s not just Chris, we have a lot to deal with. But it’s not something I can control. I have to focus on what I have to focus on and what I can control. I think management feels this is the best decision for the organization.”
Star forward Kawhi Leonard also expressed surprise. “It shocked me,” Leonard said. “I guess they had a conversation and management made a decision.”
Paul barely played for the Clippers, so his presence on the court may not be missed too much. The reason this became big news is because it’s rare to see a future Hall of Famer waived in the middle of the night in his final season. In fact, this may be the first time this has happened.
We will eventually understand Paul’s point of view. Meanwhile, speculation will be rampant about what went wrong during a season the veteran guard was supposed to be celebrating, as will speculation about the future of Paul’s NBA career.
