Team reporter: Paul announced his retirement plan when the Clippers were at their worst. Harden was caught off guard& and was under a lot of pressure.

Today, Clippers reporter Iliyan Lakhani published an article talking about Paul and Harden. The following is the full content.

Chris Paul announced his upcoming retirement, the Clippers faced greater pressure, and Harden was caught off guard.

After Chris Paul signed with the Los Angeles Clippers with a veteran's minimum salary, the team's goal has always been to win a championship in the final season of his career. However, with the reality of 11 losses at the beginning of the season and multiple missed appearances, Paul realized that playing one season was enough and planned to retire when the offseason came.

Paul’s decision is worth celebrating. He is an NBA legend, an iconic figure in Los Angeles, and is known as the "God of Point Guards." In an era when three-pointers are prevalent, he still maintains the style of a traditional point guard. Therefore, fans all over the world are happy for Paul. While this season hasn't been all happy for the Clippers, his family has had the opportunity to watch him play up close.

However, Paul may retire with the regret of not having a championship ring. The Clippers had hoped to win at least one ring before he retired, but this shocking news came at the worst time for the team. Chris Paul's retirement plan put more pressure on James Harden.

There is sometimes sympathy between stars, and Harden may be one of the most excited players in the locker room about this, because he and Paul have been teammates twice and have always been very good friends, celebrating each other's successes.

On the other hand, Harden also knows that the pressure on himself has reached its limit. In the Clippers' current predicament, they need Harden to step up to realize Paul's dream.

If there is still a possibility that Bradley Beal will return this season, Harden may be able to breathe a sigh of relief later this year. Unfortunately, Beal's season is over and injuries have affected Leonard and Derrick Jones Jr. as well.

Therefore, Clippers fans are currently seeing the former MVP averaging more than 30 points per game this season (currently averaging 28.4 points per game). The ball will always be in his hands, and while it's interesting to see him still good at 36 years old, it's not a reliable way to win.