Rockets point guard Chris Paul returned to Staples Center to square off against his former team on Monday night, and Clippers fans gave him a nice ovation at one point during the game.
Paul, who played for the Clippers for six seasons until being traded to the Rockets during the offseason, was the team’s leader during his tenure in Los Angeles.
CP3 was cheered when his name was announced during player introductions, although there were a few boos mixed in as well.
Chris Paul’s intro. pic.twitter.com/ichUX1oJo7
— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) January 16, 2018
The latter picked up when the game began, as fans booed Paul when he touched the ball.
Rockets Clippers game has started. Chris Paul being booed on the touch by Clippers fans.
— Ros Gold-Onwude (@ROSGO21) January 16, 2018
That all changed when a tribute video was shown on the video board at Staples Center, as Rosalyn Gold-Onwude reported during the broadcast that “three-quarters” of the fans stood and gave Paul an ovation during that time. The video was shown in the first quarter of the game, during a break in the action.
Chris Paul tribute video. pic.twitter.com/XrzoN8Oy3z
— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) January 16, 2018
That may be the last time Paul is cheered by Clippers fans, but at least he was shown some love for what he helped accomplish. CP3 helped the team reach the playoffs every season he was there, and provided plenty of entertaining moments during that time.
It’s not like Paul really wronged the fan base, either. A shake-up appeared to be necessary, as the Clippers were never able to take the next step toward being a legitimate contender with CP3 on the roster. The Clippers are Blake Griffin’s team now, so a new identity for them and a fresh start for Paul may have been in the best interest of both parties.
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