Earthquake in the NBA: Clippers, Chris Paul part ways

Chris Paul has been the first illustrious victim of the house of cards made up of old Los Angeles Clippers crumbling to pieces. The Los Angeles franchise, which started out as a team to be reckoned with because of the amount of stars it amassed, has run into the reality that names alone don't win games in an increasingly physical NBA.

The Los Angeles Clippers, currently second-to-last in the Western Conference with a 5-16 record, issued a statement clarifying that the decision does not place blame on the veteran point guard for the team's struggles. In the release, Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said:

"We are parting ways with Chris and he will no longer be with the team. We will work with him on the next step of his career. Chris is a legendary Clipper who has had a historic career. I want to make one thing very clear. No one is blaming Chris for our underperformance. I accept responsibility for the record we have right now. There are a lot of reasons why we’ve struggled. We’re grateful for the impact Chris has made on the franchise."

"Just found out I'm being sent home"

The departure of the NBA legend comes after the Clippers’ loss to Orlando. In fact, Paul, widely considered one of the best point guards in NBA history, did not play a single minute in the fourth quarter of Monday’s game.

Paul announced the news in a social media post from Atlanta, where the Clippers are playing the Hawks. Without sentimentality, the point guard wrote in an Instagram story, "Just found out I'm being sent home."

Earthquake in the NBA

The announcement sent shockwaves through the NBA, not only because of Paul's stature as one of the league's all-time greats, but also because the player had previously said this would be his final season.