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New York Times
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Chris Paul returns to Clippers to make history, not relive past glory
This is a basketball story. But I have to start with hip-hop. You see, a new album can serve a lot of areas, even if it's from an older performer. New work will have you recalling past brilliance while proving they can still get it done. Clipse, a hip-hop duo from Virginia formed by brothers Pusha T and Malice, reunited and put out its first album in 16 years with the release of 'Let God Sort Em Out' this month. It was produced by Pharrell Williams, who, along with The Neptunes, helped produce Clipse's first three albums, starting with 'Lord Willin'' back in 2002. Advertisement Old conflicts had to be resolved for this album to happen. Old love for the game had to be replenished. Themes of appreciation, having no regrets, and giving flowers while they can still smell them were explored. Also, the brothers can rap. And they in turn keep the art of rap accountable. So be it, so be it. Let me transition from Clipse to Clips. As in the LA Clippers, a team that added future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul to a group that already had seven players over 30. Paul turned 40 in May and is about to play his 21st NBA season. And as Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank put it, Paul will slot in as a high quality 'reserve point guard' with a clear understanding of his role. This is a full circle moment for Paul and the Clippers. LA first acquired him in 2011, at the end of a fourth straight season of at least 50 losses. When LA traded former lottery picks Chris Kaman (2003), Eric Gordon (2008) and Al-Farouq Aminu (2010) along with a future first-round pick that became Austin Rivers to the New Orleans Hornets for Paul, the Clippers had a total of six winning seasons in 41 years as an NBA franchise. They had never won 60 percent of their games before 2011. The Clippers won at least 60 percent of their games in all of Paul's six seasons with the franchise. He had an infamous run, but when it was over in 2017, he could have opted out of the final year of his contract and entered unrestricted free agency. Instead, he opted in, initiating a trade to join James Harden and the Houston Rockets. That 2017 trade netted the Clippers Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley and Montrezl Harrell. And as Frank noted, the Clippers are still benefitting from that trade when you consider subsequent trades, right down to the acquisition of John Collins this summer. LA has the league's longest active streak of winning seasons at 14, and that is largely possible because of Paul. 📰 @TheAthletic Chris Paul reunites with the LA Clippers, years after the original CP3 trade that set the franchise on a maiden course towards winning and another CP3 trade that still benefits the Clippers to this very day — Law Murray 🎡 (@LawMurrayTheNU) July 21, 2025 'When Chris exited, we worked together,' Frank said. 'When he decided to go to Houston, Chris helped us in the sense of turning it into a sign-and-trade, and it really helped us transition. I mean obviously, Chris had great history, great six years with us. Being an All-Star each year, All-NBA five of those six years, making the playoffs each of those years. And yet the ability to get the return we got from Houston helped us get to where we're at now.' Advertisement So why do the Clippers need Chris Paul? It begins with the basketball. No, really, the actual basketball. I wrote three weeks ago about how Paul makes sense as a player who has always valued taking care of the basketball. The Clippers were 23rd in the NBA last season in turnover percentage and assist-turnover ratio. Paul finished 8th in the NBA in assists per game with 7.4 and averaged only 1.6 turnovers. That's an assist-turnover ratio of 4.69, which trailed only Tyrese Haliburton (5.61) and Tyus Jones (4.71) among the 253 players who appeared in at least 20 games and played at least 20 minutes per game last season. Compare that with Harden, who had an assist-turnover ratio of 2.01, which ranked 106th. When Paul, who started all 82 games for the San Antonio Spurs last season, was on the floor, 13 percent of the Spurs' possessions ended in a turnover, which is the equivalent to a team ranking third in the NBA. When Paul was off the floor, the Spurs had a turnover percentage of 14.5, which is the equivalent to a team ranking 18th. 'We know that ballhandling was a little bit of an issue for us last year,' Frank said. 'Ballhandling and playmaking were areas we wanted to address this offseason. When we were at our best, we were taking care of the ball. And Chris takes care of the ball and runs an offense about as well as anyone who's ever done it.' Paul is the Point God. He provides discipline. He provides structure. When Paul gets point/assist double-doubles, he can do it without a turnover, something he's done 45 times (13 more than John Stockton, who is next on that list, per Stathead). As Damian Lillard was reintroduced by the Portland Trail Blazers this week, Portland head coach and former Paul Clippers teammate Chauncey Billups said that Lillard is 'going to be the highest paid assistant coach in league history.' Paul might as well be the second-highest paid assistant coach. Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue certainly could use someone else to yell at Harden instead of Harden averaging the third-most turnovers in the league again. And though Paul and Harden didn't end things well in Houston after two seasons, Harden played a role in Paul's return to LA, along with Leonard. Advertisement 'James has been a huge part of this offseason,' said Frank. 'When talking to James, talking to Kawhi, and we talked about the role … both guys said CP would be the best guy for this role. James is all about winning and obviously Chris and him played together in Houston. They got within a game of the NBA Finals in 2018. What James talked about with Chris was his ability to see the floor like few others, the leadership skills he brings, the competitiveness, and his everyday work ethic and approach.' Chris Paul needs the Clippers. He's been in five cities over these last eight years. The Clipper fan base, one that has been treated to arguably the most ahistorical franchise in the league, gets to celebrate Paul once again. And Paul's first tenure with the Clippers showed him what it means to have star players come to the Clippers near or at the end of their careers — Billups, Lamar Odom, Grant Hill, Antawn Jamison, Danny Granger and Hedo Turkoglu spent their final or penultimate season with the Clippers. Just like Malice has been both Mason Bethas, Chris Paul has been both Paul Pierces now: he was a superstar now in the twilight of his career with the Clippers. Paul replaces Patty Mills, who replaced the disgruntled PJ Tucker in February. The difference between Mills and Tucker was striking. Tucker didn't want to be on the team and, after he opted into $11 million last summer, LA leadership decided to keep him away from the team until he was traded. When Mills arrived, he was able to contribute positively to the Clippers locker room, even serving as the director of vibes. The Clippers aren't a whole lot older than last year's team. Bradley Beal is a month younger than Norman Powell, John Collins is three months younger than Amir Coffey and rookies Yanic Konan Niederhäuser and Kobe Sanders replace Drew Eubanks and Seth Lundy, respectively. Brook Lopez, 37, replaces Ben Simmons, 29. But Paul, Collins, and Lopez replace three players (Mills, Coffey, Simmons) who are still unsigned at this point of free agency, and they may be reserves on the Clippers after being starters for their teams last season. The Clippers getting older with Paul and Lopez belies the fact that the Clippers are now Pacific Ocean's Eleven: a group of established players who were productive last season and who can help keep each other's minutes and workload down in the rare instances where the team is fully healthy. Lue has a deeper, more versatile roster at his disposal. Paul and Lopez, in particular, represent players (a traditional backup point guard and center) the Clippers didn't have last season, especially in the playoffs against Denver. LA Clippers offseason, updated… Noah's ark, at least two of all they need — Law Murray 🎡 (@LawMurrayTheNU) July 21, 2025 'Everyone's entitled in terms of the judgments they want to make on the group,' Frank said. 'We're super excited about the group, and I think part of the thing with age that typically people worry about (is) increased chance for injury. That's why we lean into the depth. … The nature of any NBA team, let alone an older one, is that you may have more injuries than others. Now some of our older guys have been very, very durable, so knock on wood. Hopefully that maintains. But if not, we do have great faith in the roster and having depth across the board. Lue will need to carefully manage his rotation's minutes, but Paul, Nicolas Batum and Lopez should play the least while LA hopes Leonard, Beal, Collins and Bogdan Bogdanović are healthier (none of them played 60 games in 2024-25). The player who needs the most management, and the one Paul was brought here for as insurance, is Harden. He played 2,789 minutes in the regular season at age 35 and he was an All-Star and an All-NBA selection. That's only the 34th season in NBA history by a player who played at least 2,700 minutes at age 35 or older. Advertisement The only players who followed up a season with that kind of workload at that age and made an All-Star appearance the following season are Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain (1973 Lakers), John Havlicek (1978 Celtics), Artis Gilmore (1986 Spurs), Robert Parish (1990 Celtics), Karl Malone (2001 and 2002 Jazz), Jason Kidd (2010 Mavericks) and future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant (2025 Suns). None of those players were guards responsible for both scoring and primary playmaking. With Paul, the Clippers have eight players who are older than 30. Can an old team win it all? Certainly. The 1998 Bulls were led by Michael Jordan, who began the Last Dance at the same age (34) that Leonard will be next season. Jordan was joined by two other starters older than 30 (Scottie Pippen, Ron Harper) and five reserves who were 30 or older by the end of June 1998 (Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, Bill Wennington, Randy Brown, Jud Buechler). The 2011 Mavericks were led by 32-year-old Dirk Nowitzki, who was joined in the starting lineup by four other 30-plus starters (Kidd, Shawn Marion and DeShawn Stevenson). That Dallas team had four reserves on the playoff roster older than 30 (Jason Terry, Peja Stojakovic, Brendan Haywood, Brian Cardinal), and that didn't include injured 31-year-old Caron Butler, who was the second-leading scorer in the starting lineup when his season ended in January due to a knee injury. The 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers, coached by Lue, were led by 31-year-old LeBron James, who was joined in the starting lineup by 30-year-old JR Smith. Cleveland's bench in the playoffs had seven players 30 or older (Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye, Timofey Mozgov, Mo Williams, James Jones, Dahntay Jones, Sasha Kaun). None of these teams are perfect correlations. Every team is trying to win a championship. They're all flawed, even the team that won it last year and will win it this year. If the Clippers signed recent first-round picks to fill out the roster (like they did last year with Kevin Porter Jr. and Mo Bamba) instead of older and better players like Paul and Lopez, then they would be criticized for not giving themselves the best opportunity to win. Frank put the roster together and he's going to let Lue sort them out. Paul is here to be a part of the puzzle, and it's a smaller part than he's used to. Paul has seen it all, and he's about to see The Wall. But the Clips aren't just here to collect veterans and have sweet moments. They're trying to put the best product out there and win. And so is Paul. 'There's the heartstrings part of it, of someone who was such a significant part of the Clippers' rise, to be able to bring it back,' said Frank. 'Whether this is his last year or not, that's obviously Chris's story in terms of what he feels and what he wants. But I think number one is his ability to help impact winning. And then the secondary was someone who's been so important to the franchise, to be able to bring him back in the fold.' (Photo of Chris Paul waving: Michael Gonzales / NBAE via Getty Images)
The Sun
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Soap star reveals she's pregnant with second child after moving to US for new life
A SOAP star has revealed she's pregnant with her second child - after moving to the US for a new life. The actress, 32, had a four-year stint on a popular and much-loved soap opera. 4 4 4 Viewers know Demi Harman for portraying Sasha Bezmel in Home and Away. She played the role from 2011 to 2015, while later making the move to LA. Taking to Instagram, Demi has revealed she is pregnant with her second child. She posted a mirror selfie of her wearing maternity pants alongside a yellow shirt unbuttoned over her belly. Demi captioned the snap: "18 weeks", while cupping her bump. In 2022, the actress tied the knot with her partner Andrew Brooks. She welcomed their first child, a son, in the following year. Meanwhile, Demi had previously dated former co-star Alex Snow, who played Matt Page. Since leaving Home and Away, Demi has appeared in Modern Family, Celebrity Splash and Winners & Losers. In addition, she presented the lifestyle show Better Homes & Gardens. Hit soap gets major shakeup after 17 years - but fans fear it's a sign of cast exodus It comes as a much-loved Home and Away legend is set to leave the soap. In February, it was announced that Lynne McGranger, 72, who plays Irene Roberts, will be bowing out. She debuted in 1993 and has since become the longest-serving female actor on the show. At the time of her initial announcement, Lynne explained: "After almost 33 years in my dream role and working everyday with people who I love, respect and whom I now consider family, it's bittersweet to be closing the chapter on what has been the best and longest gig of my life. Home and Away's longest serving cast members Ray Meagher as Alf Stewart (1988 - present) Lynne McGranger as Irene Roberts (1993 - present) Emily Symons as Marilyn Chambers (1989–1992, 1995–1999, 2001, 2010– present) Shane Withington as John Palmer (2009 - present) Georgie Parker as Roo Stewart (2010 - present) "I am forever grateful to the best production crew in the world and to our genius writers – whose doors are always open – for everything they have done for Irene over the past 33-odd years. "And I am so proud of the storyline which will see Irene out of the Bay. "Above all, a massive, heartfelt thank you to the fans for your continued love and support." Home and Away airs on Channel 5 in the UK. 4
The Sun
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Chris Hughes reveals baby plans with JoJo Siwa as ‘besotted' hunk gushes over new love
CHRIS Hughes has opened up on family plans with JoJo Siwa just days after revealing the pair's sex secrets. The Love Island alum's confession also comes after he uploaded a snap showing the duo snuggling up in bed. 6 6 6 The couple previously confirmed their romance after meeting on Celebrity Big Brother earlier this year. ITV2 matchmaking show star personality Chris, 32, recently flew out to reunite with Dance Moms star JoJo, 22, in LA, spending time with her family and strengthening their bond. And now the matchmaking show star has confirmed they've talked about huge next steps in their partnership - including marriage and kids. In a chat with US Weekly aired on TikTok, Chris admitted the life milestones had been front and centre of their chats. He said: " We [he and JoJo] genuinely speak to each other about this, I would be lying if I said we didn't. "When you're besotted with each other and in love with someone I think it's fun to look forward to those things. Chris continued: "Of course I want to get married to her, I would never shy away from that. "And one day I want to have children." "We both come from extremely loving families and very wholesome families who care for you so it would be nice to reciprocate that going forward "One day I'd love to have children, it would be an absolute dream for sure." Chris Hughes can't keep his hands off girlfriend JoJo Siwa after revealing they're 'totally in love' SPEAKING OUT Chris hasn't shied away from opening up on their strong bond. This week, he admitted to a cheeky sex secret when the lights go out, and said of Boomerang singer JoJo: "She calls my balls Jimmy and Timmy. "So she must like Jimmy and Timmy." JoJo Siwa and Kath Ebbs' relationship We look back at JoJo Siwa's romance with Kath Ebbs: JoJo Siwa went public with hers and Kath Ebbs' relationship in January 2025. The Dance Moms star had been introduced to 27-year-old Australian content creator Kath by a mutual friend called G-Flip six months earlier. JoJo had split with her girlfriend Dakayla Wilson in November 2024 and it is believed she hooked up romantically with Kath soon after. Speaking in March at the 36th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, JoJo said of her relationship: 'I am so happy. I am in a very mature relationship, and it's beautiful. It's taught me so much about life. 'It's taught me so much about love and respect, and it's a beautiful thing. 'It's different in more ways than I can count. I wouldn't even know what to say the biggest is 'cause just everything is so different and special.' Kath even claimed they had talked about marriage together. However, JoJo's romance with Kath abruptly hit the skids on April 25, 2025, at the Celebrity Big Brother wrap party. JoJo dumped Kath at the bash after spending 19 days in the CBB house - where she had grown close to Love Island star Chris Hughes. ITV Racing pundit Chris added how the US star loved "the rhyming lingo." He said to E! News: "She's literally the love of my life, but she's also my best friend. "We sit and do nothing together." LOVED UP The now-couple became extremely close while they co-starred on ITV reality show CBB. They spent a large chunk of time in the house cuddling and snuggling, despite JoJo's then-relationship with Kath Ebbs. Just hours after finishing in third place on the ITV series, JoJo dumped Kath at the after-party. Recently, horse racing correspondent Chris was open and honest about how "totally in love" he is with JoJo. "I am really in love with this one," he told the Daily Mail. "She is my princess, she is a good one." It came after he opened up to the Sun's Fabulous Magazine about the backlash he has faced after he went official with their relationship. He told us: "I've had more people call me 'gay' in the last two months of my life than ever before. "But it doesn't bother me – as long as people aren't nasty, opinions are fine." He added: "Meeting Joelle gave me this magical feeling. "She is the most precious person….I'm obsessed with her. "I'd do anything for her." 6 6 6
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Heidi Klum turns heads in a very skimpy sparkly red bikini displaying her incredible figure as she poses with a kiwi float on the beach
Heidi Klum turned heads in a very skimpy sparkly red bikini as she frolicked on the beach on Wednesday. The German and American model, 52, took to Instagram to share a racy snap as she advertised her new Erewhon smoothie. Heidi has launched a bright green smoothie made with kiwi, matcha and coconut at the very expensive LA grocery store Erewhon, and it costs a whopping $19. Posing with a giant kiwi rubber ring, Heidi displayed her sensational toned abdomen in a tiny red ruched two-piece. She could be seen with wavy windswept hair and a huge pair of round sunglasses while on the beach. 'Have you tried my [kiwi] smoothie @erewhon?' she captioned the snap. It comes after Heidi turned up the heat on Instagram on Sunday, sharing a sizzling video of her on the beach. In the shot, Heidi opted to go topless and wear just a thong bikini bottom that showed off her generous backside. The former Victoria's Secret Angel model flaunted her toned figure in the barely-there bikini, walking effortlessly to the idyllic sea. Giving her followers a cheeky glimpse of her pert derriere, she captioned the video: 'Let's dip'. Earlier in the week Heidi shared a similar clip of herself on the beach, this time in just a string bikini bottom. '❤️ honeymoon' Heidi captioned the post. The German and American TV personality paired the bottoms with some gold shell earrings. Heidi went makeup free for their day at the beach with her hair styled into tousled waves. In the racy video, as she walked away, showing off her toned back, Heidi coyly turned back around to the camera, covering her modesty, before swimming off and coming back to the The America's Got Talent judge shares Johan, Henry, and her daughter Lou with her ex-husband Seal. She was married to the singer from 2005 to 2014. Heidi also has a daughter named Leni with her former boyfriend Flavio Briatore, who Seal adopted her in 2009. She is now married to German musician Tom with the pair getting hitched in 2019. Last month, Heidi celebrated her son Johan's graduation from Campbell Hall. 'Cheering you on today and every day,' the German 52-year-old - who 24.9M boasts social media followers - gushed on Instagram. 'Congratulations Johan! My heart is full of joy and pride.' The 18-year-old donned a classic cap and gown for the ceremony held at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown LA amid the ICE raid protests. Notable alumni of the Studio City private school includes filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, actress Dakota Fanning, her younger sister Elle Fanning, Modern Family alum Ariel Winter, and the Olsen twins. Heidi will be making her triumphant return to the 10-episode, 21st season of design competition Project Runway on July 31 on Freeform, Disney+, and Hulu. 'It's felt like coming home, really like coming home,' the Emmy-winning host gushed to People on May 26.
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Rarely seen Home and Away star who moved to LA years ago for a new life announces pregnancy
Former Home and Away star Demi Harman is expecting her second child with husband Andrew Brooks. Demi, who famously played Sasha Bezmel on the soap from 2011 to 2015, made the announcement on her Instagram Stories on Thursday. The US-based Australian actress, who moved to LA several years ago, posed for a bare-faced mirror selfie in a pair of maternity pants with a canary yellow shirt unbuttoned over her belly. '18 weeks,' she captioned the photo, in which she sported a knowing smile and cupped her bump. 'Excited to eat homemade food again,' the mum-to-be captioned a short video of a homemade pizza also posted to her Stories. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'I couldn't look at my kitchen during the first trimester,' she explained with a nauseous emoji. Demi and Andrew, who also share a two-year-old son, Thomas, announced they were expecting a baby girl earlier this month. Demi earned the praise of the internet when she announced the gender of her pregnancy with the trending 'I'm a Mommy' TikTok sound. A playful exchange between Love Island USA contestants Huda Mustafa and Nic Vansteenberghe became an instant meme earlier this month. In an episode of season seven, Huda told Nic 'I'm a mommy,' and he responded: 'Mamacita?' The quote has been remixed into several popular EDM songs in recent weeks. In her video, Demi lip-synced along to Huda's words and pulled up her shirt to reveal her bulging baby bump. 'Mamacita has a daughter,' she captioned the post. Demi and Andrew, who also share a two-year-old son, Thomas, announced they were expecting a baby girl earlier this month Demi added the hashtags 'baby girl' and '#2.' 'This is the best pregnancy announcement I've ever seen!' one fan commented. The low-key couple also announced the birth of their son on Instagram in 2023. 'Meet Beau Thomas Brooks! Coming in at 9lbs 13.5oz, 21.5 inches tall,' proud mum Demi captioned a black-and-white photo of the newborn. 'So far he loves his snoo, his hair being brushed and farting when everyone least expects it, he is his parents' child.. We are in SO much love!' Demi and Andrew tied the knot in January 2022 with an intimate ceremony in Palm Springs, California. 'This moment, this day, this life, is better than I ever could have dreamed! I am so grateful!' Demi shared at the time. The Australian-born beauty announced her engagement to the Disney producer, Andrew, who has worked on hits such as Nobody Wants This and Modern Family, on Instagram in July 2019. Andrew proposed to his Aussie wife on the Fourth of July. Demi captioned her celebratory post with an Independence Day pun, writing: 'Just said yes, FOUR-ever! #happyfourth #brooksfourlyf.' The couple first debuted their relationship in February 2018. Demi was previously in a long-term relationship with her Home and Away co-star Alec Snow, between 2014 and 2017.
