Donovan Mitchell didn’t hold back when reflecting on how Chris Paul’s NBA career came to an end.
One of the quieter but more jarring storylines of the 2025–26 season has been the sudden conclusion of Chris Paul’s playing days.
What began as a feel-good return to the Los Angeles Clippers, the franchise where Paul enjoyed his greatest success, quickly unraveled.
The 40-year-old point guard was unexpectedly told to step away from the team, marking the end of his second stint in Los Angeles. Shortly after being traded to and waived by the Toronto Raptors, Paul officially retired.
For Mitchell, who has long credited Paul as a mentor and guiding figure early in his career, the way it played out didn’t sit right.
“To see [Chris Paul’s] career end the way did, I think it’s BS,” Mitchell said in a piece published by Andscape.com. “I don’t know. I don’t see all the reports. I don’t know the ins and outs of everything. That’s not my job. But I know when you have a guy like that, there’s a level that he has to be [respected], and he wasn’t given that opportunity, which I think is messed up. But all that being said, he’s a hell of a person. Hell of a point guard. Hell of a player. He has done so much for this game. As a president of the [players’ union], he’s done so much for us. I was going to pay my respects to CP because he’s done so much for me, but also for the game of basketball.”
Paul’s résumé speaks for itself: a future Hall of Famer, one of the greatest floor generals the league has ever seen, and a central figure in player advocacy during his time leading the NBPA.
While his final seasons lacked the ceremony many expected, his legacy remains untouched.
