Chris Paul’s retirement announcement draws JJ Redick reception

LOS ANGELES – LA Clippers guard Chris Paul made headlines Saturday when it was announced he would retire after the 2025-26 season. There was never a public concrete timeline as to how long he wanted to play, but Paul’s decision was revealed for the first time when the Clippers found themselves in North Carolina, where his journey began, to face the Charlotte Hornets. Paul’s announcement had a ripple effect throughout the NBA, including reactions from the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers JJ Redick.

JJ Redick and Chris Paul were teammates on the Clippers from 2013-2017. Paul was traded to the team ahead of the 2011-12 season, and Redick signed as a free agent in 2013. The duo formed the initial hinterland for the Clippers, and Redick admitted he never had the same chemistry on the court with any other player as he did with Paul.

“We had our battles, but when I was his teammate, what I loved the most was our non-verbal synergy. And it’s hard to capture that in one game or one moment. But I always talk about teams that feel like an organism that works together,” Redick said after the Lakers’ practice on Saturday. “When a team really works together, there’s a connective tissue to it. I don’t think there’s been a player I’ve played with that I’ve felt more connective tissue with than Chris Paul.”

The battles that JJ Redick talked about to go back to their college days when they were ACC rivals while Redick played at Duke and Chris Paul played at Wake Forest. Paul entered the NBA the year before Redick in 2005 as the 4th overall pick of the then New Orleans Hornets. Redick was the 11th overall pick in 2006 by the Orlando Magic.

Redick recalled an interaction during his rookie season with Paul that cemented his animosity toward his future teammate at the time.

“My freshman year I was in a suit, and then we hated each other. He came in during a dead ball,” Redick said with a laugh. “He was in the left corner and I was behind the bench, and he goes, ‘Yeah, this is a lot different than college, isn’t it, JJ?’ And I said, ‘I fucking hate that guy.’

But Redick and Paul’s initial disdain for each other disappeared when they became teammates with the Clippers. Even after both left the Clippers, and Redick was the first to retire, the duo remained, like redick said, like brothers.

Last season, when wildfires ravaged much of the LA area, Reddick’s home was among those affected. Paul was with the San Antonio Spurs at the time, and they came to town to face the Lakers amid the ongoing uncertainty. Among the lost property was a collection of basketball jerseys and cardboard that Redick’s sons had collected over the years. In a touching gesture, Paul made sure to look for Redick’s sons after the game with a signed jersey to start their collection anew.

The only thing missing from Paul’s 21-year career is an NBA championship. Redick joked that as much as he loves Paul, that’s the one thing he doesn’t want to see him get this season because it would be if the Lakers didn’t win the title. But as for Paul’s overall legacy, Redick will leave that to others. He just wants to remember the good person he got to know well.

“(His legacy) will be whatever people decide. I’m not going to create a narrative. I just know him as a human being, his teammate and his brother,” Redick said. “The arc of our relationship is very interesting and goes from a decade plus of literally hating each other to feeling like he’s part of my family.”