Chris Paul pens heart-melting goodbye to Gregg Popovich and Spurs after move to Clippers: "Nothing but love for the 2-1-0"

Chris Paul is set to return to the LA Clippers for his 21st NBA season after agreeing to a one-year deal worth $3.6 million. Shortly after the details of his homecoming were made public, Paul reflected on his one-season stint with the San Antonio Spurs.

In a heartfelt Instagram post, he shared a series of photos with teammates, staff and other highlights from the 2024-2025 season. Through his caption, he even expressed his gratitude for the front office, Gregg Popovich’s coaching team and the fans.

“Grateful for the journey,” Paul wrote. “Thank you to the San Antonio @spurs organization, Coach Pop, Coach Mitch, my teammates, the coaching staff, and the incredible fans for welcoming me this past season. Proud to have been part of a franchise with such rich history and bright future. Nothing but love for the 2-1-0 🤍🖤 #GoSpursGo #ThankYouSA”

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At 39 years old, Chris Paul made history by starting all 82 games of the regular season, becoming the oldest player ever to achieve the feat.

Due to the diminished role, the 2024–2025 campaign marked the lowest averages of Paul’s illustrious career. Playing 28 minutes per game, he put up 8.8 points, 7.4 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game.

Despite the visually unappealing stat line, his season was highlighted by several major milestones, including climbing to second place on both the NBA’s all-time assists and steals lists. Chris Paul’s post also featured a graphic celebrating these historic accomplishments.

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Chris Paul expected to play “reserve point guard” role

The LA Clippers boast a plethora of talent in their backcourt, including James Harden, Bradley Beal, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Cam Christie, Kris Dunn and Patty Mills. With the addition of Chris Paul, their already deep guard rotation becomes even more crowded.

Given that Paul is entering his 21st NBA season, the Clippers don’t plan to rely on him as their primary guard. Instead, team president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank confirmed that Paul has been brought in as a backup.

“Chris is one of the most impactful players ever to wear a Clippers uniform and it’s appropriate that he returns to the team for this chapter of his career,” Lawrence Frank said in a statement."He is joining us as a reserve point guard and is excited to fill whatever role T Lue asks him to play."

As for the starting lineup, the Clippers could begin games with James Harden and Bradley Beal in the backcourt, Kawhi Leonard and John Collins at forward, and either Ivica Zubac or Brook Lopez as the center.

Edited by Dipayan Moitra