Losing a chance at an NBA championship has to be a beyond disappointing experience, especially when it happens on an opponent’s home floor amid the confetti and people streaming onto the court.
Suns point guard Chris Paul was in no mood to experience any of that — or to congratulate the Bucks on the floor.
Following the Milwaukee Bucks’ 105-98 win in Tuesday’s Game 6 of the NBA Finals, Paul could be seen heading straight for the tunnel and locker room as the clock ticked down to zeros.
The ABC on ESPN broadcast focused in on Paul, who had reached his first NBA Finals in his 16-year career, as he made his way up the tunnel while the celebration played out on the court.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMowPLZNW3w
Many of Paul’s teammates did remain on the court to shake hands with some of the Bucks players before following Paul, but the early exit was reminiscent of LeBron James leaving the court without shaking hands following the 2018 Finals loss to Golden State.
After the game, Paul emphasized that he had no plans to retire. And that he plans to get back to work to chase his first title.
"For me it just means back to work. Nothing more, nothing less. There are no moral victories. We've seen what it takes to get here, and hopefully we see what it takes to get past that." – Chris Paul on getting to his first Finals
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) July 21, 2021
The disappointment was obvious.
https://youtu.be/pgHz7vbqMWw