Stephen A. Smith went on a tirade against the Los Angeles Clippers over how they handled Chris Paul’s final season. After 21 years in the league, Paul announced his retirement in a lengthy, emotionally charged Instagram post after being traded to and then waived by the Toronto Raptors.
Stephen A. Smith Is Angry Over How Chris Paul’s NBA Career Ended
This was not the ending many envisioned for Paul, as his final season was filled with drama. The Clippers, seemingly out of nowhere, decided to send him home at the start of December, and he never played another game.
The Clippers’ decision is controversial, and it does not sit well with Smith, who did not hesitate to make his feelings known.
“It’s disgraceful, what they did to CP3,” Smith said on “First Take.” “It’s not that they let him go. It’s not this lie, this mutual parting of ways, ain’t nobody believing that. To me, it’s that you let him go while you were in Atlanta.
“You could have let him go a week earlier when he was in LA. You could’ve let him go after you came off the road trip. When he was sent home, think about the news stories that came out. It was that he was sent home. How disrespectful can you be?”
Smith then defended Paul’s legacy, specifically highlighting what he accomplished during his first stint with the Clippers before discussing his accolades. He reiterated that he did not have an issue with Paul being released; it was the way it was handled that he objected to.
“Yeah I do. … It’s disgraceful what [the Clippers] did to CP3.”@stephenasmith on if he has a problem with the way Chris Paul’s career ended 🏀 pic.twitter.com/nHA4aIjbIo
— First Take (@FirstTake) February 16, 2026
The 2025-26 season began with everyone knowing it would be Paul’s last. As such, many expected a retirement tour for the veteran guard throughout the campaign. However, it was cut short after just 16 games.
In those 16 outings, Paul came off the bench, averaging 14.3 minutes per game. He posted 2.9 points and 3.3 assists per game for a Clippers squad that struggled overall. His final appearance came against the Miami Heat on Dec. 1, the first of the team’s five-game road trip. In that game, he scored 8 points, a season high.
The team traveled to Atlanta for its next game on Dec. 3, but Paul was sent home to LA before that contest.
Paul spent six seasons in his first stint with the Clippers (2011-12 to 2016-17). He averaged 18.8 points, 9.8 assists, and 2.2 steals during that span. He was also an All-Star and All-NBA selection in all but the 2016-17 season. Additionally, he led the team to the postseason every year during that period.
