"I saw it coming": Suns' Josh Okogie on Chris Paul getting ejection from Scott Foster
Chris Paul was ejected during the Golden State Warriors loss to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, November 22. Suns guard Josh Okogie believes you could see the ejection coming, as the situation between the veteran guard and game official Scott Foster intensified during a heated sequence of events.
Okogie was Paul's teammate last season before the veteran guard was traded to the Washington Wizards as part of the Bradley Beal trade. Okogie noted how there is 'tons' of history between Paul and Foster.
"I didn't see it," Okogie said. "I just saw the first one, and I knew the second one was coming. Yeah, I saw it coming. Tons (of history) between them."
Paul's ejection has caused significant debate among NBA fans. Some feel that Foster's decision to eject the veteran guard was due to a personal vendetta and that he let his emotions cloud his judgment. Paul and Foster have had multiple run-ins over the years.
Meanwhile, Golden State has been struggling for consistency to begin the season. They entered their game against Phoenix without Draymond Green, who is currently serving a five-game suspension for putting Rudy Gobert into a chokehold.
As such, Paul's ejection left Steve Kerr's team thin in terms of veteran talent.
Chris Paul has a long-standing issue with Scott Foster
There is no love lost between Chris Paul and Scott Foster. NBA fans have seen the two lock horns on multiple occasions over the years, and there has always been the narrative that there is an underlying issue between the two.
During his post-game press conference, Paul confirmed that there is a personal dispute between himself and Foster, revealing that the league is aware, and meetings have previously taken place.
"We had a situation some years ago, and it's personal," Paul said. "The league knows, everybody knows, there's been a meeting and all that. It's just a situation with my son. So, I'm okay with a ref saying whatever; just don't use a tech to get your point across. I gotta do a better job of staying on the floor to help my teammates."
He continued:
"I had a meeting with him, my dad, Doc Rivers, Bob Delaney, and all us (when I was) with the Clippers. It was a whole thing, man. And it's still been a thing for a while... It is what it is at this point."
The Golden State Warriors will now wait to see whether the NBA poses any additional punishment on Paul for his ejection or whether they look to move on from the matter quickly. Either way, fans will want an explanation as to Foster's actions and continued harsh decisions toward Paul during games.