The Chris Paul-Scott Foster saga continues, as Chris Paul gets thrown out by Foster yet again. The incident with Foster and Paul happened during the recent Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns game. The Dubs were playing the Suns on the road, but this time the Suns got the better of the Warriors.
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With 23.5 seconds left in the second quarter, Chris Paul and Scott Foster start jawing at each other. Though it was later revealed that Paul was talking to Fosters about the previous call, the discussion quickly unfolded.
Foster gave Chris Paul a quick tech for unsportsmanlike behavior. Chris, who was livid, could be heard hurling abuses at the ref, with Warriors head Coach Steve Kerr also being booked for one.
After the game, Stephen Curry was asked about the incident, to which Curry replied,
“When both player and ref engage in conversation, that has to stay there. I told Scott that after he ejected him. There are certain situations where players overstep. There are times when you know you have to back off. But when both are engaging, I don’t like that.”
But Curry’s ex-teammate Kevin Durant wasn’t seeing things as Curry did. During the post-game press conference, Kevin Durant was asked about the incident, to which KD said,
“I looked up and they were talking for a little bit longer and I kind of felt like it wasn’t a warm exchange.”
Curry does have a point with his take though. Unlike Durant, who was walking up for his free throws, Curry was right beside Paul when the incident happened. In the instance where a player and a referee have a history, it’s on the league to make proper safeguards for the player.
While the referee exercises large amounts of power on the hardwood, the player in this instance is more or less the victim. The player isn’t even allowed to express his opinion in public, as fines often follow suit. This incident perfectly highlights why referees should be held to a great standard of accountability.
Chris Paul says “It is Personal”
The contest between the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors ended 123-115. After the game, during the press conference, Chris Paul was asked about the incident. Responding to the question, Chris said,
“It’s personal,” Paul said. “We had a situation some years ago and it’s personal. The league knows. Everybody knows. There was a meeting and all of that. … I’m OK with a ref saying whatever they’re saying, but don’t use a tech to get your point across.”
Paul’s comments sure seem concerning as it was reported that Chris had met with the NBA regarding issues with Scott Foster. But even with reports here and there, it’s not clear what’s the issue between Scott Foster and Chris Paul.
Even Foster hasn’t made anything known, as even the ‘Pool Report’, only mentions that Paul was booked for unsportsmanlike conduct. With incidents such as that of Tim Daunghy, it is important for the NBA to properly report league actions.
