Chris Paul’s reputation as being difficult to deal with on the court has been revealed by former NBA referee Bill Spooner in a recent profile on referee Scott Foster. Spooner, who worked in the NBA for 32 years before retiring, described Paul as “one of the biggest a–holes” he ever dealt with during his time in the league. Despite Paul’s image as a nice guy off the court, Spooner noted that people are often shocked to hear about his behavior on the court.
Paul’s strained relationship with Foster is well-known, with a postgame incident in 2015 serving as a notable example. In that incident, Foster tapped his car horn as Paul, holding the hand of his 5-year-old son, was blocking the car’s departure from an arena. While Foster did not say anything to Paul and his son, he faced accusations of unprofessional behavior the next day. However, after an investigation by the NBA, it was found that there was nothing to discuss, and the issue was put to rest.
The tension between Paul and Foster came to a head when Paul, then playing for the Los Angeles Clippers, was ejected by Foster in a game against the Phoenix Suns. Paul described the situation as “personal,” referencing a past incident involving his son. This led to a meeting between Paul, his father, Foster, then-head coach Doc Rivers, and former NBA ref Bob Delaney. Paul has publicly spoken about the incident with his son and the subsequent meeting, expressing his frustration with the use of technical fouls to assert authority.
Foster has been an NBA official since the 1994-95 season and has remained a part of the league ever since. Despite their differences, Paul has continued to excel on the court, earning multiple All-Star and All-NBA honors throughout his career. As he approaches his 20th season in the NBA and turns 40 in May, Paul’s legacy as one of the league’s greatest point guards remains secure. Subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter for more sports coverage from Fox News Digital.
