Chris Paul may be retired, but “Lob City” apparently travels well.
The Clippers legend recreated a little of his most entertaining NBA era while vacationing on a yacht with fellow retired point guard Russell Westbrook, as the two future Hall of Famers took turns throwing and finishing alley-oops on a hoop set up on the deck.
Paul shared the moment on social media with a simple caption: “Retirement…”
The getaway had actually been in the works before either player surfaced on the high seas.
Former NBA forward Matt Barnes recently revealed on the “All the Smoke” podcast that Paul and Westbrook planned to vacation together with their wives to celebrate the end of their careers.
“They’re taking their wives on a vacation,” Barnes said. “Two of the greatest PGs going to go kick their feet up in the sand, have some drinks and really just celebrate.”
Apparently, some pickup basketball still made the itinerary.
Paul first lobbed one to Westbrook before the roles were reversed, giving the longtime Clippers star another taste of the aerial basketball that defined his six seasons in Los Angeles alongside Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.
Paul’s return to the Clippers ended far less gracefully. The franchise abruptly sent him home during a road trip in December before eventually trading him to the Raptors. He never played for Toronto and retired in February after 21 NBA seasons.
Westbrook joined him months later, ending his 18-year NBA career as a former MVP, nine-time All-Star and the league’s career triple-double leader.
The two also share an unusual piece of NBA history: They were traded for each other in the 2019 blockbuster that sent Westbrook to Houston and Paul to Oklahoma City.
Now they’re exchanging lobs instead of teams.
No defenders. No standings. No 82-game grind.
Just throwing down monster dunks with an ocean view.
