By admin 
Chris Paul‘s tenure in the NBA ended in one of the most distasteful manners imaginable.
Read more Orioles continue pursuit of playoff berth in finale vs. Mets
The “Point God” was sent home while the team was on a road trip, removed from the roster and never received the kind of farewell one of the greatest players of a generation should have.
It seemed like the franchise completely overlooked that during his prime, CP3 had five consecutive seasons where he registered an All-NBA and All-Defensive Team nod together.
Moreover, if that wasn’t bad enough, the Clippers appear intent on not respecting Paul, as they allowed Bradley Beal to switch to the #3 jersey, an iconic number closely associated with the 12-time All-Star.
Witnessing that hesitation in fiddling with CP3’s iconic number, NBA analyst Brian Windhorst was rubbed the wrong way and blatantly expressed his disappointment in seeing Beal don that jersey number from here on.
“Chris Paul’s identity is number three. And even if you had a bad end to last season and even if Chris Paul didn’t maybe operate in the way he said he was going to, whatever and even if you weren’t planning on retiring his number this year and you were gonna make him wait a while, you can’t give out his number this year,” Windy said. “You can’t give it to Bradley Beal. No offense to Bradley Beal.”
Tim MacMahon was left shocked as well
Interestingly, Windy isn’t the only member of the NBA media who found the decision difficult to understand.
Even Tim MacMahon questioned why the Clippers allowed Paul’s number to be worn by a different player, especially Beal, who was one of the biggest reasons why the franchise struggled massively in the 2025-26 season.
Not only did Bradley pick up a season-ending injury in just his sixth appearance for the team, but even when he was on the court, he averaged a career-low 8.2 points per game.
Read more 11 great US tailgating destinations for football fans
Thus, to see the Clippers hand CP3’s iconic jersey number down to a player who has no cultural significance with the fanbase of the organization is a complete shocker.
“No disrespect to Bradley Beal, but like, he wore zero last year and contributed zero,” McMahon said. “It’s not like he’s got any kind of huge influence in L.A.”
Related: Kelsey Plum on the emotional toll of her public divorce from NFL star: “This one really broke me”
Beal has everything to prove
The upcoming 2026-27 campaign holds massive stakes for Beal
Following the exposure of the Kawhi Leonard scandal, the Clippers’ future is in massive jeopardy after the NBA stripped them of their five first-round picks. What’s worse? Kawhi is out on his way to join the Toronto Raptors.
This is where Beal will need to find his footing and play a massive role in the team’s offense, especially alongside players like Brandon Ingram, Darius Garland, Derrick Jones Jr. and Rui Hachimura.
If Beal can stay healthy and help the Clippers become competitive after such a catastrophic offseason, the perception towards him will change. And perhaps it will also help fans and media members digest the iconic #3 on his back.
Beal did not choose the history attached to his number, but he surely cannot let it down. If he doesn’t produce, it’s going to be just another Clippers blunder.
Related: “Is that the topic of the day?” – Bradley Beal brushes off backlash over wearing Chris Paul’s No. 3
Read more Ernie Clement’s Message After 2 Consecutive Blue Jays Losses
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published September 16, 2026 at 6:36 AM.