Chris Paul brought to tears by Clippers fans’ touching tribute during reintroduction ceremony

Chris Paul’s next basketball journey takes him to Los Angeles, where he will play again for the LA Clippers. Paul signed with a team that reloaded in the offseason to challenge for the championship, a goal that has eluded the 20-year veteran. The Clippers re-introduced an emotional CP3 on Monday to fans, who warmly showed their appreciation for the point guard.

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Paul first played for the Clippers during the 2011-12 season. In his first year with the team, he helped end a five-game postseason drought. Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Kenyon Martin and Caron Butler made the team exciting. They promptly leaned on their collective nickname, "Lob City," to entertain the fans.

The LA Clippers never missed the playoffs during Paul’s six-year stay with the team. He left in 2017 after LA suffered a heartbreaking seven-game series to the Utah Jazz.

Eight years after leaving the Clippers, Chris Paul returns to a vastly different franchise. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan are no longer the cornerstones of the team now owned by tech legend Steve Ballmer. Paul now joins a team led by Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, with whom CP3 played with in Houston for a few years.

Paul hopes to win a championship before calling it a career. The Clippers, which added Brook Lopez, John Collins and Bradley Beal, could help him achieve that this season. If they stay healthy, they could challenge the best in the NBA.

Playoff injuries marred Chris Paul’s previous stint with LA Clippers

The LA Clippers always made it past the regular season during Chris Paul’s six-year stay with the team. However, injuries in crucial times marred his stint with the team.

In 2015, the Clippers looked ready to challenge for the championship until Paul suffered a hamstring injury. With their floor general sidelined, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan could not carry the team past the Houston Rockets. LA lost in a fiercely contested seven-game series.

A year later, the Clippers showed again that they could make noise in the postseason. They seemed ready to challenge the Golden State Warriors for supremacy in the West. However, Chris Paul fractured his hand in Game 4 of their first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers. LA lost in six games without the “Point God.”

Chris Paul was finally healthy in 2017, but the Clippers still could not shake off the injury bug. Blake Griffin fractured his foot, causing the team to lose to the Utah Jazz in seven games. CP3 is in the twilight of his career. He is hoping injuries will not keep him and his team from bagging the championship.

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About the author

Michael Macasero

Michael Macasero brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his coverage of basketball at Sportskeeda with over 18 years of diverse work experience. This includes stints at Convergys, Interpace and RunRepeat.

Michael's background in English and Journalism has provided him with the analytical skills and precision necessary for creating content, and he is a lifelong fan of the Boston Celtics. His favorite players include legends like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, modern stars like Tim Duncan, and Nikola Jokic, as well as emerging talent like Victor Wembanyama.

Michael respects Gregg Popovich, despite his contentious demeanor in interviews, and recognizes Popovich's genius in adapting his coaching style to maximize the talent on his roster over the years. Michael eagerly anticipates seeing how Popovich will structure the offense around emerging talent like Victor Wembanyama.

Understanding the story and details is crucial to Michael's reporting philosophy and he believes overlooking details, particularly when pressed for time, can lead to misunderstandings and inaccurate conclusions.

Aside from work, Michael's children are his hobbies, and he also likes to go running, swimming and weightlifting.

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