Chris Paul details ‘unbelievable amount of emotions’ following trade to Rockets

After he was traded in a blockbuster deal from the Clippers to the Rockets, Chris Paul detailed some of the “unbelievable amount of emotions” he’s enduring as he moves on from the franchise he spent the last six seasons with.

Paul wrote:

Unbelievable amount of emotions right now- I don’t even know what to say. Lots of love and tears. I’m so blessed and thankful for the ability to play this game, this is the part that no one can prepare you for.

To the Los Angeles community and to CLIPPER NATION I say THANK YOU!!! For the past 6 years you have all welcomed not only me but my family. We love all of you.

Most importantly, I’m thinking about the kids at LA’s Best and the Brotherhood Crusade. You guys have changed my life. Doesn’t matter where I go to work- we have a lot more work to do.

Paul was traded to the Rockets in exchange for Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley, Sam Dekker, and a top-three protected 2018 first-round pick. The move pairs him with All-Star starter and MVP runner-up James Harden to create the NBA’s most dangerous offensive back court.

But Paul’s emotional ties to the city of Los Angeles can’t be denied.

The day before his trade was announced, the All-Star guard was at Compton Avenue Elementary School in South Los Angeles. Paul and his Chris Paul Family Foundation — in partnership with Kaiser Permanente — announced a $100,000 grant to refurbish two computer labs at elementary schools in the Watts neighborhood of South L.A., SB Nation learned. He’s spent time with LA’s BEST — an after-school education and enrichment program for kids age 5 to 12 — and the Brotherhood Crusade that gives back to low-income, disenfranchised individuals in Los Angeles.

This isn’t just a work relocation. This is Paul uprooting his life in Los Angeles to chase a championship in Houston. That’s dedication to the game, but it comes at an emotional cost.

Just ask Chris Paul.