Avoid discussing someone’s son.
During Golden State’s 123-115 defeat to the Phoenix Suns, Chris Paul found himself ejected following a heated exchange with official Scott Foster. Post-game, Paul shed light on his ongoing issues with Foster.
The incident occurred when Paul was called for a foul while defending Kevin Durant in the second quarter. Expressing his displeasure for about 30 seconds, Paul received a technical foul from Foster. Paul’s continued complaints led to a second technical and an automatic ejection. As he left the court, Paul was caught using a disrespectful word directed at Foster.
This ejection adds to a series of unfavorable outcomes for Paul in games officiated by Foster. Prior to breaking the streak last season, the veteran point guard’s teams had lost 14 consecutive playoff games with Foster as the official.
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So, what’s the root of the problem between Paul and Foster?
Paul revealed that their issues are “personal” and trace back to his time with the Clippers from 2011-2017. Paul emphasized that the matter involves his son, also named Chris.
“It’s personal. We had a situation some years ago, and it’s personal,” Paul explained. “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 okay 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.”
Paul disclosed that there was a meeting with Foster involving his family, another official, and former Clippers coach Doc Rivers.
“Yeah. They know what it is; he knows what it is too. I had a meeting with him, my dad, Doc Rivers, Bob Delaney and all that. [When I was with] the Clippers. It was a whole thing, man. It’s been a thing for a while.”
Given the prolonged nature of the issues, there might be a need for the league to facilitate a meeting or mediation between the two parties. Such a prominent rift between an official and a well-known player should not be a major talking point. This situation could potentially evolve into one of the NBA’s most significant rivalries.
