Chris Paul receives hero’s welcome in return to Los Angeles (Video)

The Houston Rockets visited the Los Angeles Clippers Monday night and the Clippers fans were ready to see former point guard Chris Paul.

The NBA had a full slate of games Monday for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and the nightcap saw the Rockets play the Clippers in Los Angeles. This is the first time that Chris Paul has returned to the Staples Center to play the Clippers after his offseason trade to the Rockets and Clippers fans were happy to see Paul back in the building.

The Rockets have already played in Los Angeles once this season but they played the Lakers. As fans in LA would be quick to tell you, that’s far from the same thing. Paul was one of the best players in recent Clippers history, dishing near 10 assists per game and forming a formidable duo with center DeAndre Jordan affectionately named “Lob City” due to Paul’s excellence at throwing alley-oop passes to Jordan for the easy slam.

Paul’s time with the Clippers is viewed by some as a bit of a failure as the Clippers never made it past the second round of the postseason. He and coach Doc Rivers seemed like they may have had some issues towards the end. Rivers made these comments this past October in a podcast that was recounted by SBNation –

"“I think he was tired of hearing my voice,” Rivers said. “I think Chris is a guy who is very opinionated, wants to be coached ‘kind of,’ if you know what I’m saying, but wants a partnership as well. And it’s tough from a coaching perspective. You gotta have a partnership but at times, you’ve gotta make the call. I thought that bothered him.”"

Rivers also says that the relationship between Paul, Jordan, and fellow star Blake Griffin was strained at times and it’s possible that held the team back a little bit.

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Even with potential locker room issues, Paul played very well for the Clippers, making the All-Star team five of six seasons. it’s always nice to see fans appreciate what former players have done for the team in spots like this.