Chris Paul’s shocked reaction to dramatic Clippers exit

The fallout from Chris Paul’s shock departure from the Los Angeles Clippers continued on Tuesday with a behind-the-scenes look at his exit.

A report published by ESPN investigates the rift between Paul and the Clippers hierarchy, particularly coach Tyronn Lue and his assistant Jeff Van Gundy. Paul was sent home by the team in the middle of a run of road games, aburptly bringing his Clippers return to a close.

The report claims that Paul met with Lawrence Frank, Clippers president, on December 2 after an argument with Van Gundy. Frank told Paul that he was being sent home, news that Paul reportedly “did not see coming.”

Paul had been on thin ice ever since a 40-minute phone call with Lue back in November, in which the veteran star questioned the coaching team’s decisions. He reportedly asked why he had been benched for the second half of a recent game, arguing that he deserved more playing time.

The team had brought Paul back with the hopes that his experience could be a positive influence on the team. However there have been suggestions that Paul could be “abrasive” with his comments and he did later issue an apology to teammates for his combative style.

Paul also tried to reason his way out of the his eventual departure, attempting to convince Van Gundy that he should be allowed to remain with the team. The ESPN report claims that Paul went so far as to bring teammate Brook Lopez into the room to help make his case, calling on his fellow veteran to vouch for his positive impact.

Those efforts proved unsuccessful and Paul left the team in early December, finding himself without a team as he approaches the end of his illustrious career.

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