Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Clippers cutting ties with franchise legend

It doesn’t matter who is in charge; some organizations will never develop class. Character is also measured when times are toughest: the Los Angeles Clippers are failing both tests. 

They cut bait with their best player in franchise history, Chris Paul, 21 games into the season of his retirement tour. They are even alleged to have notified him late at night, according to his Instagram story. 

It’s not much of a surprise, considering how they did another franchise icon, Blake Griffin, dirty eight years ago by trading him after he re-upped with them, thinking they were committed. Don’t expect any public answers on the real reason why Paul was let go, as the team has a 5-16 record.

Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank and the higher-ups must have zero pulse on the fan base because his retirement tour is about the only thing many of them were looking forward to as the season appears lost at the start of December. Maybe they wouldn’t be SOL had they realized Norman Powell is the goods, and it’s dumb to trade him for a scrap heap just because you don’t want to pay him. Now he’s thriving with the Miami Heat on a career season, while they stay attached to a sinking ship led by Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Ty Lue. 

The team said, “We are parting ways with Chris and he will no longer be with the team. We will work with him on the next step of his career. Chris is a legendary Clipper who has had a historic career. I want to make one thing very clear. No one is blaming Chris for our underperformance. I accept responsibility for the record we have right now. There are a lot of reasons why we’ve struggled. We’re grateful for the impact Chris has made on the franchise.”

Their city rival Lakers didn’t shame Kareem Abdul-Jabbar when he was an old set of wheels. Nor did they when the late Kobe Bryant was no longer himself after tearing his Achilles tendon. Sure they won 10 rings combined for the Lakers, but the Clippers were in their shadow for a long time and their history is nowhere near as glittering. 

Keep in mind that before they traded for Paul in 2011-12, the Clippers had only four playoff trips between 1978 and 2011, breaking out of the first round once, as California residents. Their roots are traced back to the Buffalo Braves, but the furthest they went was three straight second rounds. Yet they went six consecutive times with him, never getting out of round two. 

Fortunately for the Clippers, NBA contracts for big-time players are jackpots, they still play for LA and have a shiny new home, the Intuit Dome. Time will soften the public’s memory, and perhaps some future star will think, “Hey, not me.” Maybe he’s right, playing well and long enough not allowing them to make such a move, but why should the Clippers get so lucky if this is how they treat their best? 

Imagine if the Heat underhandedly embarrassed  Dwayne Wade in his last season (2018-19), saying, “Old sport, you’re taking up a seat on the bench, while we aren’t going anywhere.” It would have hurt their credibility as a first-class organization and turned off lots of devoted fans.

The memories Paul left behind in Clipper land, including the layup that sunk the defending champion Spurs in 2015 Game 7, round one, were not enough to spare him dishonor. Hopefully, someone gets to ask the top brass on record whether they would have done this if Paul delivered them a championship.