Eight years after his last participation with the franchise and four since he reached the NBA Finals for the only time in his career, eliminating them, Chris Paul returned to the court wearing the LA Clippers uniform on Monday. After posing for photos with his iconic number 3, updated with a new typography and more vibrant colors since his first six seasons in Los Angeles, and giving a press conference, Paul was greeted by almost a thousand fans who crowded a space in the Intuit Dome to celebrate his return.
Before being cheered with chants of “C-P-3!” by the crowd, Paul, 40, revealed to reporters his motivation for returning. It wasn’t just about playing for the team where he was named an All-Star five times and became the historical leader in assists, but also about being closer to his wife Jada, his son Chris Jr. and his daughter Camryn, who remained in Los Angeles while he played in five other cities since he was traded to the Houston Rockets in 2017.
It was kind of obvious. If I’m being really honest, I wanted to come back and play here at all costs. Paul stated that his departure from the team almost a decade ago “was not the most pleasant,” but maintained a dialogue with owner Steve Ballmer through his former role as president of the players’ association. Last summer, before Intuit Dome opened for its first NBA season, Paul contacted Ballmer and received a personal tour of the new facilities. A little over a week ago, Paul agreed to a veteran minimum contract for one year and $3.6 million to play his 21st season in Los Angeles. Although the future Hall of Famer didn’t commit to the 2025-26 season being his farewell, “I’m approaching [the season] with a lot of excitement, not necessarily thinking about what’s next,” he said on stage in front of the fans, “I’m just trying to be in it,” he made it clear how comfortable he feels with the group he’s joining. Clippers coach Tyronn Lue was his assistant. Clippers star James Harden was his backcourt partner in Houston. Bradley Beal, for whom he was traded when he was in Phoenix and Beal in Washington, has a long-standing connection through their time as Jordan Brand athletes.I’m very excited about the moves the team has made this offseason. The arrival of Brad to the team, Brook Lopez, all the young guys. I spoke with James, I spoke with Kawhi Leonard, and I’m even more excited about what I think we have the opportunity to do.
Chris Paul
He probably won’t be asked to play such an important role on a Clippers team with a plethora of guards like Harden, Beal, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Kris Dunn. And despite never having missed a game in his entire career so far due to the coach’s decision, Paul said he will accept whatever is asked of him to help the group.
Paul ranks number 2 in both assists and steals on the all-time list, only behind John Stockton in both categories. He is number 36 all-time in scoring with 23,011 points. The only thing missing from his resume is a championship. He came close in 2021 with the Suns, beating the Clippers in six games in the conference finals before losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games in the Finals. Paul and Harden also reached Game 7 of the conference finals together in 2018 before losing to the Golden State Warriors. When addressing the fans, Paul said he enjoys being on a competitive team with an opportunity.My role on this team is obviously different from what I’ve had in the last 20 years, being in the NBA, but showing up every day, if I can show some of the guys what it’s like every day, clocking in and out, I’m excited about that.
Chris Paul
Everyone who has seen me play for a while, I’m going to try to do better and try to smile a little more this year. I am grateful. I will go out every night, no matter what, and I will try to make sure I show up for the team.
Chris Paul
