Chris Paul’s long-simmering feud with referee Scott Foster added another chapter Wednesday night when Foster ejected CP3 just before halftime with two quick technicals.
Paul was whistled for a foul on Kevin Durant and while the Suns’ star stood at the free throw line Paul talked to Foster about the call. Whatever was said, what seemed like a casual conversation quickly got out of hand with Foster hitting Paul with a couple of technicals and throwing him out of the game.
Chris Paul was ejected after this exchange with Scott Foster pic.twitter.com/NBAJMUdFfr
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 23, 2023
After the ejection, Paul appears to say to Foster, “You’re a b****.”
After the game, Paul said this feud — which reaches into the playoffs where Paul’s teams had lost 13 straight games Foster had officiated until CP3 and the Suns beat the Clippers in a game last April — was personal and somehow included Paul’s son. He added that the league had organized a meeting between Paul and Foster back when Paul was a Clipper to cool things down. That obviously didn’t work.
"It's personal."
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 23, 2023
— Chris Paul on his issue with Scott Foster pic.twitter.com/iHDecyIW0f
“It’s personal. We had a situation some years ago, and it’s personal. The league knows, everybody knows. There’s been a meeting and all that. It’s just a situation with my son… I’m OK with a ref talking, saying whatever. Just don’t use a tech to get your point across. I’ve got to do a better job making sure I stay on the floor for my teammates. That’s that.”
Foster met with a pool reporter and answered questions about the incident. He said the first technical was “For unsportsmanlike conduct,” and the second because “He continued to complain and received a second unsportsmanlike technical foul.”
The ejection — plus a technical given Durant late in the game when he threw a ball at the basket stanchion in frustration — garnered more reaction than the game itself (a 123-115 Suns win that leaves the Warriors two games below .500 having lost 7-of-8).
Remember we’re all here to see Scott Foster.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) November 23, 2023
Former NBA player turned media figure Matt Barnes asked the question many fans did: Why does the league even schedule Foster to work Paul’s games? While there is no official response to this, my educated guess is that doing so would mean the league admitting that Foster is incapable of calling a fair, impartial game with Paul involved. While you may read that sentence and say “well, duh” the league office would never admit that.
Paul will get a very public fine for this. It is very possible Foster will get a fine or some kind of league punishment, but we will never know as the league does not make its punishment of officials public (again, that would be admitting mistakes publicly).
This has all gone on long enough. Whatever the suits in the league office think it says or how it looks, it’s time to keep these two apart. Sometimes things get to the point with family you just can’t invite them to Thanksgiving dinner anymore, and we’re there with Paul and Foster. Do not assign Foster to Warriors games for the rest of the season. Putting Foster on CP3 games ruins the contests and in the end they are now not fairly officiated.
