Candace Parker announced her retirement from the WNBA almost a week ago and received a heartwarming tribute from the TNT crew. A video was posted on X (formerly Twitter) consisting of numerous colleagues and loved ones congratulating her on a stellar career. However, controversy soon caught up due to her initials, which are similar to the NBA veteran Chris Paul. From what the caption in the now-deleted post suggests, the broadcasters seemed to have taken shots at the Warriors guard.
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Parker has been one of the biggest names in the women’s basketball community. Alongside being a successful WNBA player, the 3-time champion and two-time MVP was also one of the many analysts on the TNT crew for multiple years.
Hence, it was understandable why the broadcasting team decided to post a tribute to the Las Vegas Aces legend. The nearly two-minute-long video was posted on X and, for an unknown reason, TNT seemed to troll Chris Paul by referring to the WNBA legend as “The Real CP3”.
TNT calls Candace Parker the "real CP3" in a deleted post pic.twitter.com/tsSUYXeCoM
— tragicpatek (@tragicpatek) May 9, 2024
After receiving a lot of criticism for their social media activity, the media account decided to change the caption,
CP3 🐐❤️
Congratulations on a career for the ages, @Candace_Parker! pic.twitter.com/ra3KDlOaTp
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 9, 2024
Both, Chris Paul and Candace Parker donned jersey number #3 for the entirety of their careers. Hence it is pretty evident why both are nicknamed CP3 for decades. However, the Point God’s nickname goes far beyond his jersey number. The “3” also signifies his father and brother, Charles Paul and C.J. Paul, respectively, sharing the same initials as him.
Over the years, neither of the two has discussed who should be the recipient of the “Real CP3” title. However, basketball enthusiasts have always claimed Parker to be the “Real CP3” due to her success in the NBA. Even fans resonated with the real caption and supported Parker as the rightful owner of the moniker.
There's a reason I never refer to Chris Paul as CP3. Because Candace Parker is always gonna be CP3 to me.
— 👑 King Darrell (@OriginalKingD) April 28, 2024
candace parker: 2 rings
chris paul: 0 ringsWill the real CP3 please stand up???!👀 pic.twitter.com/04DQy6XRv5
— 𝐁ℝㄖℕυℕivⓔℝsit𝕐 (@BronUniversity) October 17, 2021
Chris Paul got to wear a new number. Cause this the real CP3. https://t.co/ap6lF6jp3P
— Tee 🇯🇲 (@positiviTeee) October 17, 2021
There doesn’t seem to be any animosity between Chris Paul and TNT. However, considering that Candace has been a part of the TNT family for several years, it is understandable why they would like to be partial while taking sides. While Paul is a bonified NBA veteran and a team player in the true sense, likely, the media giant did not intend the comparison.