The enduring feud between Chris Paul and Scott Foster remains one of the NBA’s peculiar and long-standing storylines, with the origins of this well-documented animosity shrouded in mystery. However, recent revelations may shed light on how this feud began.
Typically, when fans are intimately familiar with a specific official, it tends to be for unfavorable reasons, and such is the case with Scott Foster.
RELATED: Chris Paul Gets Clowned For Standing on ‘Tippy-Toes’ in Post-Game Jersey Swap with Wemby
The veteran NBA referee, often associated with the disgraced Tim Donaghy, is most notably known for his contentious relationship with Chris Paul. Many believe Foster harbors a personal grudge against Paul, especially considering Foster has officiated 20 playoff games involving the guard, where Paul’s teams have gone 3–17, losing by an average of over 11 points.
Earlier this month, Paul was ejected from a game after directing a derogatory term at Foster. Post-game, Paul acknowledged a past confrontation with the referee during his time with the Clippers, hinting at an incident involving his young son.
While Paul’s initial revelation remained cryptic, recent insights provided by Gilbert Arenas on an episode of “Gil’s Arena” shed light on the incident that allegedly sparked the feud. Co-host Josiah Johnson detailed an unaired portion of a previous discussion with Paul, recounting an incident involving Foster and Paul’s son:
“The situation with his son, I believe after a game, Little Chris was playing in the tunnel. Scott Foster, in the car with the other refs, rolls up to him, honks the horn at him, yells at him ‘Get the f— out the way!’ and some other expletives—to a little kid. CP3 finds out about that. Naturally, like any of us would do with our kids, is not particularly happy about that.”
Paul also claimed that Foster, on multiple occasions before games, approached him to draw attention to their contentious officiating record—a behavior that seems inappropriate for someone in the professional role of officiating basketball games.
Despite these revelations, the NBA has seemingly chosen not to address the situation, leading to questions about the league’s inaction in the face of this ongoing feud.
