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Good morning! Hit a gapper today. We need it.
Mess, Explained: Is this really how Chris Paul’s career ends?
Chris Paul has a reputation. I won’t profess to know the man, but when you’ve played in the NBA for 21 seasons at a Hall of Fame level, stories circulate. He is all at once: one of the best point guards to ever play, a valued mentor and teacher, a provocateur and, it seems in his most recent role, a reproving elder statesman whose tactics backfired.
Paul, 40, is somewhat of a marvel by NBA standards, even with LeBron James still churning with the Lakers. He played all 82 games with the Spurs last year. He appeared to be set for a ride into the sunset with the team that employed him at his peak: the Clippers.
Instead, his retirement run ended abruptly overnight a day ago. It was stunning and a bit unnerving. Is this how one of the game’s greatest players goes out? That doesn’t feel right.
Pertinent info to know about this mess:
- Three of The Athletic’s NBA reporters combined to report the definitive tale of this unexpected breakup, which paints an uncomfortable picture. It seems that team brass has known for some time this reunion would not work out.
- The Clippers are a disaster this year at 6-16, and yet Paul still barely played. He was a vocal critic of both players and coaches, putting those inside the building “at wit’s end.” His tone was “disparaging” and his antics were termed “locker room lawyering.” It did not go over well with the veteran-heavy team.
- Clippers president Lawrence Frank went to great lengths to avoid scapegoating Paul, because he’s a franchise legend and the season has been so bad that the 12-time All-Star was far from the only reason the Clips are failing. Paul played just 16 games this year.
So, is he done? Probably not. Zach Harper had ideas on where Paul could land, and the Magic struck me as a good option.
There’s another mess brewing in the league, too:
Patrick McDermott / Getty Images
- Trouble remains in Milwaukee, where we are both discussing Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future with the franchise and worrying about his injury status. Team sources told The Athletic that while Antetokounmpo is having conversations about his long-term situation, he has not requested a trade yet.
- This came hours before the 30-year-old superstar collapsed to the floor in the Bucks’ win over the Pistons last night. Milwaukee officials ruled out an Achilles injury and termed it a calf strain. Still troubling.
Need happy NBA news? The Thunder are on pace to outdo the Warriors’ record 73-win season after a 21-1 start. Golden State thinks OKC can do it.
Let’s move on:
News to Know
John Hefti / Imagn Images
NWSL vetoes Rodman deal
More mess, but this time in soccer: NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman vetoed a proposed new multimillion-dollar contract from the Washington Spirit for superstar Trinity Rodman, the league’s biggest name, who has received significant interest from competing leagues both at home and abroad. A source told The Athletic’s Meg Linehan the league believes the contract proposal violates its rules. If Rodman walks, it’s a disaster. Read Meg’s full report for more.
A new WNBA CBA proposal
The WNBA’s latest offer to its players in their ongoing labor negotiation includes a revenue-sharing model that wouldn’t cap player salaries based on a fixed value in the collective bargaining agreement, meaning compensation could rise dramatically as the league continues to grow. Also in the new proposal: a draft combine. The details are really interesting.
More news
- Kansas State football coach Chris Klieman announced his retirement yesterday. His possible replacement? Texas A&M offensive coordinator and former Wildcat quarterback Collin Klein. See the full story.
- Elsewhere on the coaching carousel: South Florida hired Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline to be its new head coach.
- Amid all the coaching drama, USC signed the No. 1 recruiting class in the country yesterday.
- Two old pals could be going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame together: Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft. More details here.
- Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will return to practice soon. It’s unclear if he’ll play this season.
- Blue Jackets players pushed back on Devils coach Sheldon Keefe, who criticized Columbus’ players sharply after a four-fight night Monday. See the full backstory.
- Something we missed Tuesday: Ice rinks for the 2026 Winter Olympics are being built to specifications smaller than NHL surfaces, a source told The Athletic. It’s a big worry.
What to Watch
📺 NFL: Cowboys at Lions
8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video
Super, super fun game. Dallas’ offense might be the NFL’s most fun, while the Lions remain one of the league’s better teams but have alternated wins and losses the last seven weeks. This could go a long way toward deciding a playoff spot, too, per our simulator.
📺 EPL: West Ham at Manchester United
3 p.m. ET on USA
Anything Man Utd is interesting at this point, and the Red Devils sit seventh in the Premier League table at the moment, while West Ham fights to stay above the relegation line. Come see a good win for the theoretical good team while also bracing for fallout if a shocking upset occurs.
Get tickets to games like these here.
Pulse Picks
Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images
A perfect story from Jayson Stark, who mourns the gapper in MLB. Who killed the double and triple? And what is the league doing about it?
Sam Vecenie returns with a brand new NBA mock draft. The top of this class is stacked.
Also drafting soon are two new WNBA franchises, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo. Sabreena Merchant and Ben Pickman made their selections for them.
Add another accolade to Indiana coach Curt Cignetti’s file: His bobblehead officially outsold the pope’s.
Sean McIndoe registered at the hater convention while giving you reasons to say “no thanks” to every NHL team after Thanksgiving. This was funny.
Should parents watch their kids’ practices? There may be no better resource for us than Greg Olsen on this. His Q&As are always super insightful. Read the latest here.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our initial story on the Chris Paul-Clippers breakup.
Most-read on the website yesterday: ☝️
📫 That’s all for now! Say hello at thepulse@theathletic.com, and check out our other newsletters.