The LA Clippers introduced level guard Chris Paul at Intuit Dome on Monday, one week after signing the 20-year NBA veteran to a minimal contract to rejoin the franchise he led from 2011 to 2017.
Paul’s household, primarily based in LA since Paul was traded to the Clippers from New Orleans in December 2011, was within the entrance row. Whereas the 40-year-old Paul might select to finish his profession after this season, it’s not one thing he’s committing to now.
“Please don’t,” Paul joked when requested about presumably retiring. “I’m simply in it, to inform you the reality. I’m nonetheless in it. Day in and day trip, having fun with it, proper?… It’s been actually cool to be round my household and know that the countdown hasn’t began for me to go away once more. So I believe that’s what I’m most completely happy and serious about proper now.”
Paul’s household was the most important motive for him returning to the Clippers after spending the earlier eight seasons in Houston, Oklahoma Metropolis, Phoenix, Golden State and San Antonio. However Paul additionally mentioned it was a “no-brainer” for him to return again to the Clippers, no matter what his position was going to be. Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank mentioned Paul’s position could be as a reserve level guard, and Paul is completely happy to just accept it — even after beginning all 82 video games final season with the Spurs, changing into the primary participant in NBA historical past to take action in his twentieth season.
“It’s lots of people who will attempt to inform your story for you,” Paul mentioned. “I used to be really on trip with my household, and also you see all of the tales (of) individuals saying, ‘He’ll solely go right here if he’s beginning’ or if he’s doing this. I believe for me, the gratitude that I’ve for having the ability to play so long as I’ve had, I believe the simplest choice in that is sitting proper up right here, proper right here with my household. It’s getting an opportunity to be round them and be round much more. And get an opportunity to compete and play for a championship.
“My position on this workforce is clearly completely different than it’s been the previous 20 years being within the NBA. However displaying up day by day, if I can present among the guys what it seems to be like day by day to clock in and clock out, I’m excited for it,” Paul added.
Paul thanked the Spurs for giving him the chance to play final season — notably the Holt household, who personal the workforce, CEO R.C. Buford, president and former head coach Gregg Popovich, head coach Mitch Johnson and Paul’s teammates.
“With out this previous yr in San Antonio — if that doesn’t occur, I don’t have this chance to truly come again right here and play this yr,” Paul mentioned Monday. “So thanks a lot to the Spurs and their group.”
Paul talked about that all through the years, he “needed to get again and play right here by any means needed.” After the information convention, Paul was escorted to a homecoming occasion on the area, the place he was greeted by Clippers followers and season ticket holders. As he was launched by broadcaster Brian Sieman, Paul was overcome with emotion.
Chris Paul breaking down after @BSieman introduces him to the followers at Intuit Dome, one thing CP3 was not anticipating pic.twitter.com/BkIuKE0jzd
— Regulation Murray 🎡 (@LawMurrayTheNU) July 28, 2025
“If you happen to watch me, I play with a special sort of chip on my shoulder and a ardour,” Paul informed the followers. “However there’s an vacancy that I used to be lacking. And so I’m excited to essentially be again right here and get an opportunity to play for the Clippers.”
Paul’s return to the Clippers is a full-circle second for a franchise that by no means gained 60 % of its video games in a season earlier than his arrival — and now has the league’s longest lively streak of consecutive successful seasons, a run that started together with his first in 2011-12. Whereas Paul doesn’t take credit score for the Clippers changing into extra of a vacation spot franchise, he acknowledges that it’s significant being on a workforce with Kawhi Leonard and former Rockets teammate James Harden, amongst different completed gamers.
“It’s been quite a lot of guys right here who’ve achieved an important job in shifting the tradition and making it what it’s now, and all of the individuals right here that performed a job on this,” Paul mentioned. “I imply, you bought to consider it: the colours are completely different. The emblem is completely different. However quite a lot of the followers have remained the identical. So I believe that’s what I’m most enthusiastic about, is getting right here, getting an opportunity to play alongside Kawhi. Kawhi has been right here with that tradition change and all that. Bringing in James and all these completely different guys, so I’m excited.”
Paul talked about that that is the time for gamers to benefit from the offseason, and so his communication together with his new teammates has been temporary. He labored out with new Clippers guard Bradley Beal in Augusta, Ga., throughout EYBL Nike Peach Jam, which was gained by Beal’s workforce. Paul addressed his reunion with Harden after the 2 parted methods in 2019, when Paul was traded from the Rockets to the Thunder. Paul acknowledged clips that confirmed stress between the 2 after they have been teammates throughout the 2018-19 season.
“We talked about it and, you recognize, talked about simply, you recognize, the historical past of clearly being there in Houston,” Paul mentioned. “And it’s humorous, man, as a result of that clip or whatnot that goes round, it was quite a lot of stuff funnier and stuff like that than that. That was simply form of our relationship. You understand, however I believe that’s what made that workforce so good. You understand we bought on one another in numerous conditions.
“However that workforce, I can actually say, it was one of many funnest groups I’ve ever been on in my profession, and James is a type of guys that likes to be within the gymnasium all day lengthy. And so it’s wild that you just get this chance once more after these two years and the success that we had, and we positively know we had unfinished enterprise. So we get an opportunity to see what’s happening right here.”
As Paul enters subsequent season, he realizes that a lot has modified, together with his perspective and place in Clippers franchise historical past. He’ll put on his quantity once more, however a lot else has modified. And he appreciates what it means to play at Intuit Dome not as an opponent, however now as a consultant of the group.
“This isn’t the place we performed, proper?” Paul mentioned. “I’ve watched the constructing of this constructing. I watched, I believe, the primary preseason sport that was performed right here. I’ve paid consideration to all of this. You don’t have any selection, proper? All of us that actually have reminiscences and ties to this workforce, for many guys, I don’t care the place you go, in the event you’ve been with a workforce and also you’re that invested, it’s possible you’ll go different locations. However this may at all times be particular to me.”
(Photograph: Ronald Cortes / Getty Photographs)
