Chris Paul Discusses Leaving Clippers, Says 'It Was Time for Change'
Chris Paul told The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears in an interview published Tuesday he wanted to leave the Los Angeles Clippers for the Houston Rockets because "it was time for a change."
"I feel like the last six years we've had a great run," Paul said. "I felt like it was not only a good time for change for me, but for the team, too. Everyone says, 'We get killed. We can't get there. We just can't get over the hurdle.' I felt like it was time for change."
Paul also said he didn't think the Clippers were surprised he wanted to shift gears, namely because they netted assets—including Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams and Sam Dekker—in return.
As far as his relationship with Austin Rivers is concerned, Paul denied he had a contentious rapport with the 24-year-old guard after a report from SportsCenter's Michael Eaves suggested Paul took umbrage with the preferential treatment Rivers received from his father, head coach Doc Rivers.
"Just like I called Blake and those guys, I called Austin," Paul said of his move to the Rockets. "I wish him the best of luck with what he has going on in the future. … No, that report wasn't true. If anything, Austin has grown up a lot and is getting better. I heard the report. It's not worth responding to."
On Monday, USA Today's Sam Amick spoke to Austin—who confirmed he talked to Paul on the phone about what they perceived to be an erroneous report.
"I called Chris and was like, 'Chris, what's going on?' Rivers said. "Chris is like, 'This is the biggest bull(expletive) I've ever seen in my life.' Chris was just like, 'This is a joke.' So I asked him, I'm like, 'You don't need to come out and say nothing publicly, I don't need you to do that. It's just going to make it even more, now they're going to drag it out two more days."
Speaking about his relationship with Doc, Paul admitted that while the two did sometimes butt heads he has the "ultimate respect" for the man he referred to as an "unbelievable coach."
Looking ahead, the nine-time All-Star said that while he doesn't know how sharing point guard responsibilities with James Harden will go, he said the two will "find a way" to make it work.
And when it comes to teaming up with his good friend Carmelo Anthony—who ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski and Brian Windhorst reported the Rockets were turning their "full attention" toward acquiring—Paul played it coy about a possible future and said all he can do is "sit back and wait."
