LOS ANGELES – Chris Paul is on the Clippers again. The 40-year-old guard and 12-time All-Star has agreed to a one-year, $3.6 million deal with the Clippers. Paul previously played with LA for six seasons from 2011-17. This will be his 21st and final season, so it’s only fitting his farewell tour happens with the team where he became a superstar.
Let’s rewind to the best moments that made CP3 the face of “Lob City” and a Clippers icon.
Chris Paul’s Greatest Clippers Moments: A Farewell Tour Fitting for a Legend
The Birth of Lob City
You can’t talk about Paul’s Clippers stint without remembering how he turned the franchise into must-see TV. When the Clippers traded for him in December 2011, they paired him with young Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. The result? A highlight reel every single night. Paul’s alley-oops to Griffin and Jordan became legendary. CP3 was the engine behind Lob City.
The 17-Game Win Streak
One of the defining stretches of Paul’s Clippers career came during the 2012-13 season.
CP3 guided the team to a franchise-best 17-game win streak. That run put the league on notice that the Clippers were no longer the laughingstock of LA basketball.
Paul orchestrated everything. He averaged 16.4 points and 9.4 assists during that stretch and delivered signature moments, including a 24-point, 13-assist and 5-steal masterclass against the Kings that sealed win No. 12.
The Game-Winner Against the Spurs
Ask Clippers fans about CP3’s biggest moment and they’ll point to May 2, 2015. Game 7. First round. Spurs vs. Clippers.
Playing on a bad hamstring, Paul hit one of the most iconic shots in franchise history. With seconds left and the score tied, CP3 banked in a tough runner over Tim Duncan. He finished with 27 points that night, scoring 18 in the second half to send the defending champion Spurs home. He scored five daggers from behind-the-arc. “That was probably the biggest shot of my career,” Paul said afterward. The image of him limping and celebrating with his teammates still lives rent-free in Clippers lore.
CP3 vs. The Warriors
Before the Warriors dynasty fully formed, CP3’s Clippers gave them all they could handle. The 2014 first-round series between the Clippers and Warriors was peak entertainment.
Paul averaged 17.4 points and 9 assists shooting 45.9% on threes in that seven-game slugfest. He also gave us the classic behind-the-back dribble to a crossover on Steph Curry, leaving him stumbling while Paul drained the jumper.
Setting Franchise Records
Paul’s time with the Clippers wasn’t just highlight dunks and clutch shots. He brought professionalism, consistency, and a winning culture. He left LA as the franchise leader in assists per game (9.8) and steals per game (2.2). Under CP3, the Clippers made the playoffs every single year — something that was unheard of before he arrived. His impact turned the Clippers into a destination rather than an afterthought. One could say his time on the team laid the groundwork for the blockbuster additions of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the summer of 2019. Now he and Kawhi will be teammates chasing a first championship for the Clippers franchise.
A Poetic Goodbye
Now, at 40, Paul comes back to where his superstardom peaked. Chris Paul’s final season will give Clippers fans one last chance to celebrate the Point God. Closing the curtain on a Hall of Fame career will finally give the Clippers their first true chance to say farewell to a franchise legend. Bob McAdoo didn’t retire on the Clippers. Nor did Griffin or Elton Brand. Jordan is on the Nuggets.
His vision, leadership, and craft will forever be part of the franchise’s DNA. And no matter how this final run goes, those six seasons from 2011 to 2017 will always remind the NBA that for a moment, Lob City ruled the skies — and Paul was the pilot.
© Kelvin Kuo-Imagn Images
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