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Chris Paul admits he appreciated Blake Griffin more after they split

LA Clippers v Miami Heat

MIAMI, FL - DECEMBER 16: Blake Griffin #32 and Chris Paul #3 of the LA Clippers take the court during a game against the Miami Heat on December 16, 2016 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

NBAE via Getty Images

Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone...

Chris Paul paraphrasing Joni Mitchell is not where we expected to be on Friday, but here we are. CP3 went on the Up in Smoke Podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson — currently being done remotely from everyone’s home — and among the topics he talked former teammate Barnes about those “Lob City” Clippers.

Barnes called them one of the best teams never to win a title. Chemistry issues may have stood in the way of that ring (and some injuries), and Paul admitted he appreciated Blake Griffin and what that team had more after it all broke apart and Paul went to Houston.

“It’s seriously one of those things you don’t realize what you have until it’s gone. I think about it at times. And me and Blake absolutely had our issues here and there, but I actually appreciated Blake probably a lot more after I left.”

Paul, also the elected head of the NBA’s players union, talked about the forced suspension of the league due to the coronavirus.

“In this situation, nobody knows. Like it’s crazy, I was talking to Adam [Silver] the other day…Shout out to Adam and the fact that he actually communicates with us and is trying to figure out what’s right. But, just there’s no answers right now. Everybody’s just basically gotta wait and see how this thing plays out. Obviously, at the end of the day, we all miss hooping…

“I don’t think we all realize how much we appreciate the game, or appreciate all the little things.”

I think we all appreciate our health and the things we have and had — including hoops — more now.