When the Clippers Were Eliminated Chris Paul Posted a Succinct Meme to Convey His Feelings

RIPBOZO.

Chris Paul with Kawhi Leonard and Brook Lopez. During less happy times for Paul. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Clippers lost to the Warriors on Wednesday night in the Western Conference 9-10 play-in game. Draymond Green shut down Kawhi Leonard, Al Horford hit four straight three-pointers in the fourth quarter and Stephen Curry looked like vintage Stephen Curry. Overall it was a thrilling night for Golden State that left Steve Kerr feeling like they were champions once more.

The Clippers on the other hand are now headed to the draft lottery without even owning their own pick after a very rough year. They started the season with accusations of cap circumvention involving Kawhi Leonard and went 6–21 out of the gate. Then they climbed back into postseason contention only to be eliminated in the play-in.

There is, however, at least one person associated with the organization who enjoyed how the season ended and his name is Chris Paul. Arguably the greatest player in the franchise's history, Paul returned to Los Angeles this season for a retirement tour, but instead he was treated quite badly. In the midst of their awful start he was sent home, eventually traded and ended up retiring without any fanfare whatsoever.

So you can't really blame him for taking a shot at the organization on social media after their final loss of the season. Paul posted the original "#RIPBOZO" meme. Interestingly enough, Paul is mentioned on the KnowYourMeme page as one of the main examples of the meme's use.

Chris Paul shared a meme after the Clippers lost in the play-in. | cp3 / Instagram

While he's happy to see the 2025-26 Clippers are in fact dead, there are reasons that the Clippers unceremoniously dumping Paul worked out for him. Last week, when he could have been riding the bench during loses to the Thunder and Trail Blazers, he was instead in Augusta with his father where he played golf and attended the Masters for the first time in his life.

That is a man who has accepted what happened and moved on. Mostly.

Chris Paul's first stint with the Clippers

Paul was drafted No. 4 by the then New Orleans Hornets in the 2005 NBA draft and played six seasons with the franchise before he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. That trade was of course nullified by David Stern and Paul ended up being traded to the Clippers a few days later in a series of events that remains one of the ultimate what-ifs in NBA history.

Paul didn't revive the Clippers, he basically brought them to life like Dr. Frankenstein. The Clippers had won a single playoff series, made the playoffs four times and finished above .500 just twice in their first 27 years in Los Angeles. They were one of the biggest punchlines in all of sports and always had been when Paul arrived. In the first season with Paul, the Clippers went from a 32-win team to a 40-win team despite the fact that it was a season shortened by a lockout.

In Paul's six seasons in Los Angeles the Clippers went to the playoffs every year, won 50 games five times and won three playoff series. He has the second most steals in franchise history and is the Clippers all-time leader in assists.

Rather than give him a big contract extension in 2017, they traded him to the Rockets. Three years later he earned All-NBA honors with the Thunder and did that twice more with the Suns, who he led them to the NBA Finals. After a year with the Warriors and then the Spurs he returned to Los Angeles for what was expected to be a retirement tour.

Nine months later he's celebrating their playoff elimination on social media, but more importantly, he's golfing.

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