Chris Paul’s sudden exit from the Warriors’ Wednesday game against the Phoenix Suns sent the NBA world into a frenzy.
The incident added to a long-running feud between the Warriors point guard and NBA official Scott Foster, who Paul called “personal” after his former team’s 123-115 loss to Golden State.
The next morning, Stephen A. Smith agreed that it was personal between the two, and called out Foster’s lack of professionalism when it came to Paul.
“It’s obviously personal with Chris Paul. There’s no denying it,” Smith said Thursday on ESPN’s “First Take.” “And you saw it last night. … There’s no way that Chris Paul is making very, very valid points about personal hatred.
“The problem with Scott Foster, in my opinion, is that Scott Foster tries to give off an air of pure professionalism when dealing with Chris Paul. And that’s not the case when it comes to Chris Paul. Paul is personal. He’s not objective. He can be subjective. And Chris Paul is clearly on the nerves. He showed it from time to time.
“And that’s why Chris Paul needs to point out what he pointed out last night. And the NBA needs to do something about it. Scott Foster, no disrespect, I understand that Chris Paul is not Steph Curry or LeBron James, but I do. We’ve come to see Scott Foster more than him. Damned if we don’t come to see it. These officials need to be investigated for firing players who don’t care about the paying customer who came there to watch a damn basketball game. Chris Paul doesn’t need to be on the same court moving forward.”
Both Smith and ESPN’s Brian Windhorst agreed that it would be nice if the league somehow found a way to prevent Foster Paul from officiating the games he plays.
And in the ongoing “beef” between the two, receipts were scrapped. In Paul’s 20 playoff games under Foster, the Hall of Fame point guard has a 3-17 record. In 15 of those games, Paul’s team was favored.
Smith believes that’s no accident, and that ignoring it is “highly reflective” of coincidence.
“Now when we talk about Chris Paul, let’s understand who we’re talking about,” Smith said. “We’re talking about one of the greatest point guards in the history of basketball. You can slice it any way you want — he’s not a champion, we’ve got all that. Incredibly talented. A basketball genius. That’s the problem. He’s a basketball genius, so he stands out better than the mistakes the officials make.” It makes it visible. So if you’re an authority figure, the player might be whining and moaning and complaining – that’s not Chris Paul.
“If you talk to Chris Paul, and obviously I have, Chris Paul cooks you up. He doesn’t just make statements. He comes at you with questions. He literally asks you. So, if you’re an authority figure and there’s a wobble in your game in any way, he’ll expose you and spend the game calling you out because he wants you to fix things. So, in that regard, it can be incredibly frustrating for someone like Scott Foster, who has lived for centuries, is widely and internationally respected for his talent.
While Smith and Windhorst understand that Paul is constantly running his mouth at Foster and questioning his decisions, they agree that composure isn’t Paul’s job — it’s Foster’s. They also believe Foster may have let his ego get in the way.
Paul Foster, who was fired for just the seventh time in his 19-year NBA career, admitted he might see him soon, but he also admitted he needs to do better for the team and do whatever it takes to stay on the court. The situation matters.
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