Chris Paul, at 38, is one of the oldest players in the league. During the offseason, the NBA community questioned the Golden State Warriors for trading for Paul at the expense of a younger Jordan Poole, who was part of their previous championship-winning team.
Paul, who has enjoyed a blissful 19 seasons in the NBA, faced adversity with referee Scott Foster, who recently ejected him from the game against the Phoenix Suns. The rift between Chris and Scot has attracted comments from analyst Stephen A Smith, which seems to be supported by his co-analyst and legend of the game.
Shaq backs Stephen A. Smith’s take on Chris Paul, Scott Foster
Shaquille O’Neal remains an active presence on social media within the NBA community, often sharing his perspectives on trending league topics. The Lakers legend and TNT analyst recently used Instagram to showcase Stephen A. Smith’s bold stance on the incident involving Scott Foster and Chris Paul.
On his Instagram story, Shaq posted a picture of Foster and Paul along with Smith’s caption, “Scott Foster doesn’t need to be on the same court as Chris Paul moving forward.” The comment from Smith was originally made during a recent segment on First Take.
Smith while answering Chris Paul’s ejection question said, “I understand Chris Paul ain’t Steph Curry, he ain’t LeBron James. But I’ll be damned if we ain’t come to see him more than we came to see Scott Foster… Scott Foster doesn’t need to be on the same court as Chris Paul moving forward.”
In that discussion, Stephen A. shared his thoughts on Paul’s ejection, emphasizing that fans attend games to watch players, not referees. He urged the league to be aware of officials making significant decisions based on in-game incidents. Smith also highlighted the 3-17 win-loss record for Paul’s teams under Foster’s officiation in the playoffs to support his argument.
Stephen A. presented a relevant perspective, highlighting the NBA’s reluctance to acknowledge and address the Paul-Foster issue, which is already impacting games. The unexpected ejection of Paul caught the Warriors off guard, especially considering they were already without Draymond Green.
CP3 reacts to Suns tribute video
Before his return to Phoenix since the trade, the Suns expressed gratitude to Chris Paul for his contributions with a tribute video. The Footprint Center crowd welcomed Paul with enthusiastic cheers. In the pregame presser today, Suns’ coach Frank Vogel showered Paul with praise, “It’ll be good to see him back in the building, but we’re all hoping to beat him for sure”.
The future Hall of Famer played a pivotal role in elevating the Suns during his three seasons in the Valley after being traded from the Thunder in 2020. His impact was instrumental in transforming Phoenix into an attractive destination for players.
Paul, in 194 regular-season games with Phoenix, averaged 15.1 points and 9.5 assists. Under his influence, the Suns reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 1993 in his inaugural season (2020-21).
Paul is tied for the second-highest assists per game in the Suns’ history. Following a trade to the Washington Wizards in the Bradley Beal deal, he was redirected to the Warriors in exchange for a package including Jordan Poole.
At 38, Paul has experienced fluctuations in the Golden State starting lineup. Currently starting due to Draymond Green’s five-game suspension, he maintains averages of 9.8 points, 7.7 assists, and 1.7 steals this season. This marks the second consecutive night the Suns have featured a tribute video, following Deandre Ayton’s return to Phoenix the previous night.
