Chris Paul And Scott Foster Beef: What happened and what should happen next

The tension between Chris Paul and Scott Foster had been bubbling for many years. Each man has accomplished a lot as a player and referee respectively, but do not see eye to eye when they deal with one another. The situation seems to have come to a head, and NBA fans are wondering how this will affect Paul and Foster moving forward.

Paul’s teams have a 3-17 record in those contests according to Sports Illustrated, and were reportedly favored to win in 15 of those games. On the surface, that statistic suggests that Foster has been trying to negatively influence the chances that Paul’s teams’ have of winning.

Netflix had a documentary about Tim Donaghy which allowed the corrupt former NBA referee to tell his side of the story. In the film, Foster is mentioned as a close friend of Donaghy, as the two would often speak on the phone.

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While it wouldn’t be fair to implicate Foster as impartial, the connection between the two is something that is periodically brought up.

On the other side of the coin, Paul is known for talking incessantly to players, coaches and officials alike. He’s one of the smartest players of his generation according to NBA.com, and this conversation allows him to share and discuss everything that’s happening in a game.

This predisposition to consistent communication doesn’t seem to fit well with Foster’s personality.

In a game just before Thanksgiving 2023, Foster and Paul got into their latest tiff, as the former kicked the point guard out of the game.

This was the first major blowup they had since Paul joined the Golden State Warriors, and Steve Kerr was not happy with how the referee handled the situation. Video from NBC Sports shows Paul calling Foster a derogatory name as he left the floor.

After that game, Paul spoke to the media about what had taken place with Foster. He confirmed that the grudge was personal, and that their disdain for one another dates back to Paul’s days with the Los Angeles Clippers. Paul referenced a meeting many years ago that involved Foster, former Clippers coach Doc Rivers, and Paul’s son.

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It’s interesting that Paul disclosed that a family member of his was involved in a powwow with Foster. It’s hard to envision what Foster might have done to Paul’s son while officiating a game.

While it’s purely speculation, it seems possible that Paul’s son was giving Foster an earful, and the latter may have had Paul’s son removed or relocated from the arena.

Usually, the higher profile an official has, the worse it is. It seems like the best referees are known by name, but not known for their personalities. For better or likely worse, Foster is now known as someone who seems to latch on to grudges.

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Foster's defenders might say that he’s unafraid to go after stars if they’ve crossed the line, which other officials wouldn’t do.

Momentum is building to have the league refrain from assigning Foster to any of Paul’s games moving forward. Given their history, this seems like a sensible course of action.

However, this measure opens the league up to other potential player-official beefs, and requests to keep certain referees away from certain teams. That would greatly complicate matters for the NBA.

On a January 2024 episode of the Draymond Green podcast, Paul indicated that he would be able to reveal more about the disagreement he has with Foster in the future. "Can't. Not right now." Paul said. "I can't right now. I can't right now. But in due time, in due time, we'll have that conversation."

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