A heated feud in the NBA doesn’t even involve players. Whether it’s with the Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, or Golden State Warriors, Scott Foster constantly gets into it with Chris Paul. When the official is assigned to the player, the two exchange further remarks. However, veteran referee Bill Spooner believes that there may be more to this beef than meets the eye.
Bill Spooner served as one of the top referees of the NBA for 32 years. He saw the rise of Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls, got to officiate a large chunk of LeBron James’ career, observed the growth of the San Antonio Spurs with Gregg Popovich, and got to watch the peak of the Warriors dynasty. This veteran just got to retire in 2020. So, everything that he has been through is still fresh in his memories.
One thing he will never forget from his time in the NBA is the feud between Chris Paul and Scott Foster. The latter moniker has always had a negative connotation among those connected to the league. After all, he was really close to Tim Donaghy. However, his issue with the Warriors’ guard is different. Spooner explains why this is unusual, per Jason Quick of The Athletic.
“I’m going to tell you, and I know you are recording me, but I get asked all the time: ‘Who are some of the tough guys, some of the bad guys?’ And when I tell them that Chris Paul, in my 32 years in the league, was one of the biggest a-holes I ever dealt with, they say, ‘Not Rasheed Wallace … or da-da-da?’ Nope. Nothing like Paul. And they are like, ‘Oh, he seems like such a nice guy.’ And I say, ‘Yeah, he’s a great image cultivator,” he said.
In addition, he posits that Chris Paul has been slowly campaigning against Foster.
Paul’s main weapon against Foster has always been his call-outs. The NBA official retaliated by delivering what appeared to be unfair decisions against the Warriors player. A new story was introduced when Paul got ejected during their game against the Suns. Paul had been issued two technical fouls before the third quarter, which did not sit well with him.
He would then expose the root cause of their long-standing beef.
“It’s personal. We had a situation some years ago, and it’s personal. The league knows, everybody knows, and it’s been a meeting and all that. It’s a situation with my son and so, yeah. I’m OK with a ref talking, saying whatever, just don’t use a tech to get your point across. I gotta do a better job making sure I stay on the floor for my teammates. But, yeah, that’s that,” the Warriors guard said.
Some devoted viewers can only guess what this is all about. However, the relationship appears to be irreparably damaged from every viewpoint.