It is rare for a referee to confide, the NBA limiting the public statements of its officials as much as possible. But Scott Foster has been at the heart of debates several times this season in the Great League, and The Athletic was therefore able to devote a long article about the referee's career, and the controversies surrounding him.
What to remember? First, that for the NBA and for his peers, Scott Foster is one of the best referees in the league, if not the best. His evaluations thus systematically place him among the officials who make the fewest errors. It's his authoritarian side that annoys the players. But for Danny Crawford, a particularly respected former referee, what particularly annoys some players is that Scott Foster does not let himself be intimidated.
The first controversy? Magic Johnson's expulsion
“Scott Foster is by far one of the best referees in the game, if not the best”assures Danny Crawford. “What about his personality and people not liking him?” It's because he doesn't let it happen. If you attack him in an unsportsmanlike manner, you will pay.”
The first time Scott Foster found himself at the center of discussions was in 1996, when he kicked out Magic Johnson, who had come right into him. The Laker had been suspended three games…
“We never want to be known” assures Scott Foster. “Everyone thinks I like the spotlight and says, 'We didn't come here to see you,' and I say, 'I know.' I understand. I don't want you to come see me. I'm not worth seeing, to be honest with you.' »
For Chauncey Billups, one of the strengths of the referee is not to whistle based on the status of the players.
“I think Scott is an excellent referee”assures the current coach of the Blazers. “He’s not going to let this happen. He's an old school guy, the way I like officials, like Joey Crawford or Steve Javie… They're not going to let anything go, whether you're the best player or a player from the G-League. They show the same respect to you regardless of your status in the league. And I always respected that about him. »
Three burdens, including his ties to Tim Donaghy
But then, how can we explain Scott Foster's bad reputation, among players and the general public? The person explains it by “three things”, which look like burdens in the interview he gives.
– His proximity to Tim Donaghy, his son's godfather, the corrupt referee to whom he made 134 phone calls during the period during which his friend was betting on NBA games
– Two surveys conducted among NBA players (in 2016 and 2019) which each time qualify him as “worst referee in the league”
– His very public disagreement with Chris Paul, the leader having accused the referee several times of being personally angry with him, including an incident involving the playmaker's son
As for Tim Donaghy, Scott Foster explains that the two men have completely cut ties since the affair, the FBI having looked into the latter's life without finding the slightest trace of malicious activity. As for the 134 phone calls, made before or after the meetings, Scott Foster recalls that this happened more than 15 years ago, and that smartphones were just making their appearance.
“That's how we communicated in 2007. Every time someone wants to discredit me or question my integrity, they use this article of 134 phone calls… and they're like, 'That's the proof!' There is no proof. Because it didn't happen. Today, when people hear that someone called someone else 134 times, they say, 'Wow! It's weird'. Because it's weird. But I didn't have messaging service in 2007. I had a Motorola Razor, and if you wanted to write 'Yes' in a text message, you had to press 23 keys or something like that.”
On the players' side, this proximity remains a subject of discussion, as Rudy Gobert has demonstrated several times by rubbing his fingers over Scott Foster's whistle…
A simple honk?
As for the disagreement with Chris Paul, The Athletic's article is an opportunity for the referee and his peers to give their version of the story, very different from the Warriors playmaker's insinuations. So what happened between Scott Foster and the son of the former president of the players' union? According to Don Vaden, who was in charge of the referees at the time, the incident took place on April 28, 2015, following Game 5 of the first round between the Clippers and the Spurs. After San Antonio's victory, the referees pile into an SUV to leave the Staples Center parking lot. Having seen the vehicle, Chris Paul then placed himself on the track, holding the hand of his five-year-old son.
The playmaker, turning his back on the car driven by Scott Foster, then ignored the car by remaining there, the referees not knowing how to react. A member of security was reportedly called to get Chris Paul to step aside and let the vehicle go, with Scott Foster eventually honking his horn.
Did Chris Paul, who reacted as if he was extremely surprised by the horn, deliberately provoke the referees? In any case, he would have immediately complained to the league leaders.
“I came home the next day and was told there were charges against me, that I had done something unprofessional” notes Scott Foster. “The NBA conducted an investigation and concluded there was nothing to report or tell anyone. This is how things ended. »
Scott Foster insists he never spoke to Chris Paul's son, and never said anything to him, but tensions were still high enough for the league to organize a secret meeting between all parties, in order to to smooth things over and, above all, prevent them from getting worse.
But the “honeymoon”, as the referee describes it, did not last very long, and the playmaker then increased the criticism against the official, until his expulsion last November, following which Chris Paul publicly spoke about the incident involving his son, as well as the conciliation meeting organized by the NBA.
Since then, Scott Foster has no longer refereed the Warriors, even if the Great League assures that it is not voluntary. However, it suited everyone well. It must be said that among referees, the public accusations of Chris Paul, who alienated a good number of officials during his career, seem to have left their mark.
“I'm going to tell you something, and I know you're recording me, but I get asked this all the time: 'Who are the toughest, baddest guys?' And when I say that in my 32 years in the league, one of the biggest assholes I've had to deal with is Chris Paul, I get the response: 'Oh well, not Rasheed Wallace or something?' No, Chris Paul is at the top » explains Bill Spooner, a former referee who is now retired. “They say to me: 'Oh, he seems like a nice guy.' No, but he is very good at creating his image. »
