It's well known that Chris Paul and NBA referee Scott Foster have had differences for some time, but another referee has also had some unpleasant experiences with the veteran point guard.
And Bill Spooner, who spent 32 years in the NBA before retiring, didn't hold back his thoughts about Paul in a recent profile on Foster, via The Athletic.
“I'm going to tell you, and I know you're recording me, but I get asked all the time, 'Who are some of the tough guys, some of the bad guys?' And when I tell them that Chris Paul, in my 32 years in the league, was one of the biggest jerks I've ever had to deal with, they say, 'Not Rasheed Wallace…not da-da-da?' No, nothing like (Paul),” Spooner told The Athletic.
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Referee Bill Spooner during Game 1 of the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs between the Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat on April 14, 2018, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. (David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
Spooner added that people are usually surprised to hear that Paul is difficult to deal with on the court.
“And they were like, 'Oh, he seems like a nice guy.'” And I'm like, 'Yeah, he's a great image-builder,'” Spooner said.
It's no secret that Paul and Foster haven't had a great relationship during their time in the league.
WARRIORS' CHRIS PAUL ADMITS TO HAVING A 'PERSONAL' ISSUE WITH OFFICER SCOTT FOSTER AFTER EXPULSION
The Athletic pointed to a moment after the game in 2015, when Foster honked his car horn as Paul, holding his 5-year-old son's hand, blocked the car's exit from an arena. Paul was surprised at the time, but ended up moving out of the way of the car.
While Foster didn't say anything to the father and son, he told The Athletic that there were accusations about him the next day.
“I came home the next day and was told that I had been accused of doing something unprofessional,” Foster explained. “The NBA did an investigation and found that there was nothing that needed to be discussed or anyone to talk to. And that was the end of that.”
Chris Paul of the Golden State Warriors reacts to referee Scott Foster during the first half of a game against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center on November 22, 2023, in Phoenix, Arizona. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Paul, who was playing for the Los Angeles Clippers at the time, was reunited with his father, Foster, then-head coach Doc Rivers and former NBA referee Bob Delaney, who moved on to a position in the league office.
Paul has mentioned the situation with his son involved and the previous meeting, the last of which occurred last regular season. Foster ejected Paul, a member of the Golden State Warriors, in a Nov. 22 game against the Phoenix Suns.
“It's personal,” Paul said of Foster. “We had a situation a few years ago, and it's personal. The league knows it, everyone knows it. There's been a meeting and everything. It's just a situation with my son. I don't care if a referee says anything. I just don't do it. Use a technology to get your point across.”
Foster began refereeing in the NBA during the 1994-95 season and has been a part of the league ever since.
Chris Paul of the Phoenix Suns dribbles against the Denver Nuggets during Game 2 of the second round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on May 1, 2023, at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. (Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images)
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Paul, a 12-time All-Star and 11-time All-NBA, will turn 40 in May as he heads into his 20th season.
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