The Golden State Warriors star Chris Paul has consistently faced challenges when Scott Foster serves as a referee. Paul has struggled to make his mark in matches whenever Scott officiates. Throughout Paul’s entire career, his poorest performances have occurred when Scott is present as the referee.
The statistical data has led to suspicions that it is more than just a coincidence. Recently, Paul faced difficulties again at the hands of Scott in the Warriors vs Suns match.
Why does Chris Paul always suffer with Scott Foster as ref?
Chris Paul and Scott Foster do not have a great history between them. The player and the referee have been on bad terms with each other for quite some time. On many occasions, CP3 has called out Foster for being unfair towards him and even accused the NBA officials of being the “worst ref in the NBA” in 2014. Paul believes that Scott has some kind of grudge against him and fulfills his personal vendetta against him on the court.
On the other hand, NBA official Scott Foster has maintained his stance of being a neutral and fair official on the court, dismissing CP3’s accusations as unfounded and baseless. However, statistical data collected by many sources suggests that Paul’s complaints may have some merit. In a 2017 study by ESPN, it was revealed that Chris Paul is more likely to be called out for a foul when Scott Foster is officiating the match.
In his entire career, Paul has played a total of 1229 games, of which he has 438 losses. In the matches he lost, Scott Foster officiated 19 games, and Paul won only 2. A similar incident repeated itself when the Warriors were facing the Phoenix Suns, and Scott Foster was officiating the match.
Scott Foster and Chris Paul’s beef continues during Warriors Vs Suns
The Golden State Warriors faced the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, and an ejection of CP3 from the game added more fuel to the already strained relationship between Chris Paul and referee Scott Foster. Paul was ejected from the game after receiving two technical fouls. The first foul occurred when KD drew a foul on Paul, who was not happy with the call and argued with Scott, resulting in his first technical foul of the match.
The second one came shortly after and CP3 was ejected. After the game, Paul expressed frustration and said, “It is personal now. We had a situation years ago and it is personal. The league knows. Everybody knows. There were meetings and all of that… I am Okay with a referee saying whatever they are saying, but do not use a tech (technical foul) to get your point across.”
The head coach of the Warriors, Steve Kerr also received a technical foul for criticizing Foster for his decision on the court. After the game, Kerr said, “I did not think Chris deserved to be ejected. The first tech was absolutely justified. But the second one was unnecessary, everybody gets frustrated out there.”
This drama between Paul and Foster has become a laughing matter for the fans in the NBA community but if it is really personal it shows that the NBA needs to frame some stricter policies for referee hiring.
What do you think of this beef between Chris Paul and Scott Foster? Do you think Foster should be investigated? We are eager to know your thoughts, so drop down in the comments and let us know.
