DeAndre Jordan defends Chris Paul after an ugly end to the Clippers’ retirement

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — From the league’s investigation into the start of the 2025-26 regular season, to the shocking trades of James Harden and Ivica Zubac at the NBA deadline, this season for the LA Clippers feels like two or three entire seasons rolled into one.

Somewhere along the line, The Clippers split up with the future Hall of Famer and best player in franchise history at Chris Paul. Paul’s dismissal came as a surprise to everyone in the league, with shouts of support for Paul and heavy criticism of the Clippers, especially considering the fact that this was his last season in the NBA.

After being dealt at the NBA trade deadline and unable to find a new home to close out the season, Chris Paul officially retired from the NBA during All-Star weekend. It brought a glorious, 21-year NBA career to a close and left only one memberr of the remaining Lob City Clippers: DeAndre Jordan.

The center is in his 18th season in the NBA, still going strong and is currently the starter for the New Orleans Pelicans.

In an exclusive interview following Paul’s retirement, Jordan tells ClutchPoints that he remains loyal to his former All-Star teammate.

“Oh, that’s my guy, man,” DeAndre Jordan says in an exclusive interview. “Chris has helped me a lot in my career, so nobody can say anything bad about CP. He’s a Hall of Famer. He’s done a lot for this game. He’s helped a lot of young players, older guys, he’s helped with IK, you know. And then things off the field. He does so many great things for the kids and everything he can just be able to keep the school going. that personality and life for the guys.”

Of the 243 teammates DeAndre Jordan shared the floor with during his 18-year NBA career, only Blake Griffin (543 games played) played more games with Jordan than runner-up Chris Paul (459 games played). The duo of Jordan and Paul played a combined 406 regular season games in addition to 53 playoff games in six regular season games. The duo had a .658 winning percentage, going 302-157 in those 459 games together.

Jordan is the player Paul played more games with than anyone else during Paul’s 20-year NBA career that spanned 249 games.

In 338 games played together by Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, the Clippers posted a 232-106 record (.686 winning percentage) while compiling five straight 50-win seasons after not recording a single 50-win campaign in the franchise’s previous 42 years.

That’s why walking into the Intuit Dome has special meaning for Jordan, who recognizes the magnitude of the foundation Paul, Griffin and he laid from 2011-2017, despite never winning an NBA championship for the franchise.

“I mean, yeah, obviously the three of us, but Steve Ballmer has done an amazing job with the organization, and it’s nice to see the Clippers finally have their own arena,” Jordan added. “It’s something we’ve talked about for so long in my time here, 10 years here. But it’s been, you know, it’s cool, man. I love to see the growth and Clipper Nation continue to expand. That fan base that’s been amazing in my time here, and they’re still amazing.”

Chris Paul joined the Clippers for their final season in the summer of 2025 with the understanding that he might not play much, but also that his gritty leadership style would have to be respected. The team struggled to start the season and, as they continued to fall in the standings, league sources told ClutchPoints that Paul led to an abrasive method where Jeff led to an abrasive method per faceoff. Van Gundy for changing the defensive scheme himself in the middle of the game. Paul was also later seen visibly frustrated during the team’s flight to Miami the day before the Clippers sent him home.

The way the Clippers moved on from Paul – their franchise legend, in the middle of the night, on a multi-game East Coast road trip – set off a lot of alarms for people around the league.

DeAndre Jordan admits that Chris Paul has a very specific leadership style that he has found essential to his career.

“I think he’s amazing,” DeAndre Jordan told ClutchPoints. “Yeah, he’s going to push you, he’s going to challenge you to be the best player you can be. He’s going to bark at you. And you know, that’s his Napoleon complex. But I mean, s*s*t, like for me, I needed that. And some players need that. Some guys don’t want to be challenged, and that’s fine if any player is on their team, but I would ask them to.”

Alongside Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan developed into an NBA All-Star in 2016-17, finishing a six-year stretch alongside Paul with two All-NBA First Team selections, two All-NBA Third Team selections, one All-NBA First Team selection, and as a two-time rebounding champion while also finishing in the top four defensive players of the year.

Chris Paul finished his NBA career playing 21 seasons and exactly 425 regular season games for the Clippers and New Orleans Hornets franchises. Despite the ugly end to this season, the Clippers are hoping time will heal all wounds and they can one day retire the jerseys of DeAndre Jordan, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin at the Intuit Dome.

“I’m happy with his career,” Jordan said. “I wish it had obviously ended a little bit differently, selfishly, but I’m sure he’s okay with that.”