Ex-NBA Ref Labels Chris Paul as a Major A–hole

Out of the thousands of players he witnessed throughout his 32 seasons as an NBA referee, Bill Spooner claimed that none other than Chris Paul is the absolute worst, to put it nicely, player to deal with in the league.

During an appearance on Jason Quick’s podcast for The Athletic, Spooner did not hold back when the name Scott Foster was brought up.

Foster and Chris Paul are notorious for their contentious relationship. In the 21 playoff games where Foster has officiated Paul’s team, Paul’s record is a dismal 3-17.

At one point, CP3 had lost 13 consecutive playoff games with Scott Foster as an official.

In Paul’s most recent encounter with the controversial referee back in November, CP3 was ejected. After the game, Paul remarked, “There’s some officials that’ll talk back to you and stuff like that, which sometimes it’s healthy. It’s an intense game, you go back and forth. But, it’s just like you get to give a tech to get your point across. So at that point though, when something’s said I ain’t care no more. It is what it is. I’m sure I’ll see him in a Game 7 soon. That’s how it always works out.”

According to former referee Bill Spooner, however, Foster is not the problem. Instead, it is the six-time All-Star.

Spooner noted:

“I’m going to tell you, and I know you are 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 a**holes I ever dealt with, they say, ‘Not Rasheed Wallace … or da-da-da?’ Nope. Nothing like (Paul),” Spooner said. “And they are like, ‘Oh, he seems like such a nice guy.’ And I say, ‘Yeah, he’s a great image cultivator.”

A comment like this suggests that Paul is a common problem among many NBA referees. Given Scott Foster’s ego, the two are by no means a match made in heaven.

What do you think about Bill Spooner’s statement on Chris Paul?