Chris Paul's sudden release from the Los Angeles Clippers during what was meant to be his retirement tour is one of the biggest stories of the NBA season, and that's coming from a Clippers team that has produced most of the eye-catching drama this season. 

Paul signed with the Clippers for one last ride, then reports of friction between him and the coaching staff for what was perceived as Paul stepping out of line when it came to advising his fellow teammates emerged, ultimately culminating in a total breakdown in communication between Paul and Clippers head coach Ty Lue.

Finally, Paul was released by the Clippers in the middle of the night in early December after the team travelled to play the Atlanta Hawks. Paul stayed in the team books until they ultimately traded him to the Toronto Raptors at the deadline, who in turn released Paul before he ever player a game for them, and he chose to retire mid-season. 

It's a truly bizarre situation made even stranger by the Clippers' apparently telling  Paul that his jersey would still be retired by the organization despite everything that occurred.

Paul deserves the honor, he has been one of the most iconic players in franchise history dating back to his original run with the Clippers, but the murky details of his departure during his last NBA season will now forever be associated with the far more positive history he has with the team.

Now that Paul is officially retired, he has more freedom to speak publicly about everything that happened behind closed doors, and to explain the parts that still baffle him. 

That's exactly what he did when he appeared on Carmelo Anthony's 7PM in Brooklyn podcast and it sounds like there's still a lot about what happened that's lost on even him. 

"I'm still grasping hit. Trying to figure out how it got to that," Paul said. 

Paul said that in the early part of the season, everything seemed fine. He said he was talking with Kawhi Leonard "almost every week" before he joined the team, he was in contact with Ty Lue and Lawrence Frank, the president of basketball operations for the Clippers, was praising Paul's leadership, even sending him an article celebrating Paul.

Once training camp arrived though, things seemed different. Paul said he was told not to give other players on the team advice after he had tried giving some pointers to a Clippers player that he didn't name during the podcast. 

That set the tone for the Clippers' perspective on Paul's leadership style that eventually led to so much friction with the staff. Lue had reportedly refused a meeting with Paul and once he was dismissed Paul asked Frank about the meeting that he had requested with Lue, only for Frank to reply that he couldn't make it happen.