Los Angeles Clippers guard Bradley Beal sparked a backlash earlier this week by switching back to the No. 3 jersey, which belonged to franchise legend Chris Paul.
Beal wore No. 3 for most of his NBA career, but he switched to No. 0 last season when Chris Paul returned to the Clippers, out of respect for the veteran guard.
After Paul retired, the team store began selling Beal No. 3 jerseys. This upset fans because Paul was supposedly promised his number would be retired following his messy departure from the team.
ESPN Analysts Roast Bradley Beal And LA Clippers Over Chris Paul
With this, ESPN analysts Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon brutally roasted Beal and the Clippers franchise for the disrespect to Paul.
“It’s kind of like starting, starting for an NBA player is very very important. It’s the same thing with numbers,” Windhorst said in his podcast “The Hoops Collective.” “Chris Paul’s identity is CP3. And even if you had a bad end to last season, and even if Chris Paul didn’t operate the way he said he was going to. You can’t give out his number this year! And you can’t give it to Bradley Beal. No offense to Bradley Beal.”
“It’s kind of like starting, starting for an NBA player is very very important. It’s the same thing with numbers. Chris Paul’s identity is CP3. And even if you had a bad end to last season, and even if Chris Paul didn’t
Meanwhile, MacMahon had an even meaner statement for Beal amid this predicament with Paul.
“No disrespect to Bradley Beal, but he wore zero last year and contributed zero. It’s not like he has any influence in LA,” MacMahon said.
In the 2025-2026 NBA season, Beal played only six games for the Clippers, averaging 8.2 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game before his season was cut short due to a hip injury requiring surgery.
Chris Paul Got Disrespected On His Way Out Of The LA Clippers
This all stemmed from Chris Paul’s fallout with the Clippers organization last season, which was Paul’s last year as an NBA player.
Paul’s abrupt departure from the LA Clippers in December 2025 involved a sudden late-night meeting where executive Lawrence Frank told him the team was parting ways and sending him home.
Reports indicated friction behind the scenes regarding Paul’s vocal leadership style, accountability demands, and disagreements involving the front office and coaching staff. Head coach Tyronn Lue reportedly declined a meeting with Paul before the separation.
Frank is now suspended without pay following the NBA’s investigation of the salary cap scandal involving Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers were also stripped of five first-round picks.
But for Paul, it was the most disrespectful thing he ever experienced in the NBA.
“What’s interesting about that whole situation is, it’s probably one of the most disrespectful things that I’ve endured,” said Paul on the ‘Build or Break’ podcast. “I’ve been through a lot of wild stuff in my career, and having older kids and a wife who’s very tapped in, and they know the daily goings-on as far as that team and that organization. Obviously, I was upset, but my family, my people, everybody… I think just because of the investment we made in the team for as long as we have, and to see the way stuff was handled. What it lets you know is that no matter what you do or what you’ve done, nobody cares. Nobody cares, it’s another learning lesson.”
Nevertheless, Paul may find peace in a newfound retirement life and the Clippers’ current crisis after NBA’s punishments.
Bradley Beal Gets Brutally Roasted by ESPN Analysts Over Chris Paul Jersey Number