Here's What Adam Silver Has To Say About The Chris Paul Situation

Right before the Finals of the Emirates NBA Cup on Tuesday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver fielded questions from members of the media. To the surprise of no one, the topic of the Chris Paul fiasco came up in this media availability.

So, what does the league’s head honcho think of the entire matter? For starters, even Silver was caught unaware by the situation that unfolded in the wee hours of December 3. “I probably was in bed when I saw an alert on my phone,” he said with a chuckle. “I have a bad habit of checking my phone in the middle of the night, so I think that’s when I learned of it.”

Imagine the NBA Commissioner in pajamas, scratching his head as he tried to make sense of what was happening. Silver, however, was far from amused. “I would say I was dismayed just for everyone involved,” he admitted.

Silver went on to share his personal connection with Paul, who has played in the NBA for 21 seasons. “I’m particularly close to Chris because he was the president of the players’ association for many years. We probably would not have managed to play through the pandemic and the so-called ‘bubble’ in Orlando if it weren’t for Chris working hand-in-hand with Michele Roberts [former NBPA executive director].”

While Silver said that he would “love to see” Paul finish his retirement tour with another team this season, he refused to pass judgment on the way the Clippers handled the matter. “It doesn’t seem my role to cross-examine the participants here,” said the University of Chicago Law School graduate. “It’s an unfortunate situation that it ended the way it did.”

To Silver’s credit, he pumped the brakes on dishing out his own criticism of a headline-making turn of events, in which the Clippers unceremoniously released Paul and sent him home. Reports have since emerged of the Point God clashing with the likes of head coach Ty Lue and assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy, reportedly because Paul was highly vocal with his recommendations to turn the Clippers’ season around.

As the NBA Commissioner pointed out, what’s done is done: Paul is now without an NBA team two months into his final season in the league. If Silver had his way, CP3 would be signing with another NBA ball club before he finally hangs up his sneakers.