NBA ref Scott Foster is notorious among fans across the league, including the Raptors fan base. Here’s why
Scott Foster #ScottFoster
Former NBA player Matt Barnes has called him a terrible referee. ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan said everybody in the NBA has a problem with him. Future Hall of Famer Chris Paul has a history of losing almost every playoff game this official was involved in.
There’s no love lost between referee Scott Foster and basketball players as well as fans across the league. There’s even a petition started by fans five years ago to remove him from the NBA.
The Raptors just became the latest victim Monday night when Foster bizarrely tossed Scottie Barnes in the dying seconds of a crucial game against the Denver Nuggets after just one technical for “verbiage which directly questioned the integrity of the crew.”
Here are five other cases that sent fans over the edge involving Foster, a veteran of nearly 30 years as a league official.
Missing crucial call on Steph Curry
During the 2018 Western Conference Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets, Foster was the crew chief for Game 1 and Game 7. Both games were marred with controversial calls.
The NBA’s last two-minute report showed that in Game 1, Steph Curry should have been whistled twice and fouled out, and that the crew missed a travel on Klay Thompson. The Warriors would go on to win that game.
Foster had more controversial calls in Game 7, after which the Rockets filed a formal complaint to the NBA claiming the officials heavily favoured the Warriors.
Tossing Demarcus Cousins
In October 2018, the Golden State Warriors were playing at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks when Foster ejected Demarcus Cousins midway through the first quarter of the game.
Cousins wasn’t even playing. The newly-acquired Warriors backup centre was nursing an Achilles injury and sitting on the bench. Everyone in the arena was bemused by the call, including Cousins.
While offering an explanation of the odd dismissal, Foster told the pool reporter that Cousins had received a warning earlier for exchanging words with Knicks centre Enes Kanter. When Cousins took exception, Foster assessed him a tech and tossed him for unsportsmanlike behaviour.
Chris Paul beef?
The Phoenix Suns veteran guard has had a multitude of run-ins with Foster over the years. Last April, when the Suns lost to the New Orleans Pelicans in Game 2 of the Western Conference first round, it marked Paul’s 14th straight playoff loss in games officiated by Foster, according to Sports Illustrated.
A year before when the Suns were up 2-0 against the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals, Foster officiated Game 3 (which Paul and the Suns lost) and Game 6 (which Paul and the Suns also lost).
When Paul was playing in Houston for the Rockets, he once received a technical in a regular season game from Foster and later told reporters it was “Scott Foster at his finest.” Rockets’ then-star James Harden characterized Foster as “rude and arrogant.”
You look, you get a T
Sam Young of Indiana Pacers had an unenviable task of guarding LeBron James who was in his prime with the Miami Heat during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2013. As James attempted a drive to the basket, Young fouled him and the play stopped.
The two players pretty much looked at each other and Foster immediately stepped in and handed a tech foul to Young, much to the bewilderment of everyone who was watching.
“I’ll tell you one thing. When Scott Foster is officiating, as a coach you have to make your players aware that he’s going to have a quick trigger,” said then broadcaster Steve Kerr.
Pacers associate head coach Brian Shaw also received a tech from that brief exchange.
Quick wit
Foster isn’t only known for controversial calls. He’s also famous for throwing around zingers and quips when players question him.
Case in point: Minnesota Timberwolves’ guard Jaylen Nowell got called for a foul during a game against the visiting Warriors in January 2022. Looking incredulously at Foster who had blown the whistle, Nowell asked, “that’s a foul?”
Foster was ready with an answer.
“Yeah, that’s a foul,” he quickly responded. “Every day of the week here. That’s a foul every day of the week.”
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