James Harden blasts referee Scott Foster after loss to Lakers, says he shouldn’t officiate Rockets games

NBA referee Scott Foster shouldn’t officiate Rockets games ever again. At least that’s what James Harden said after he fouled out in Houston’s 111-106 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.

Harden was whistled for four offensive fouls — two of which were called by Foster — against the Lakers. It as the first time he fouled out this season.

“Scott Foster, man, I never really talk about officiating, but just rude and arrogant,” Harden said after the game, via The Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen. “I mean, you aren’t able to talk to him throughout the game. It’s not even that call. It’s who he is on that floor. It’s pretty frustrating. You can’t have a conversation. You get a tech.”

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Foster called 18 fouls, personal or technical, on Thursday night: 12 against the Rockets, six against the Lakers. Seven of the 12 fouls he called against Houston came in the fourth quarter, including a late technical foul on Chris Paul, who has met with the league to complain about Foster in the past.

“It’s lingering. It has to be looked at,” Harden continued. “For sure it’s personal. For sure. I don’t think he should be able to officiate our games anymore, honestly.”

The Rockets are 9-9 in their last 18 games with Foster as a member of the officiating crew: 3-3 in 2016-17, 5-5 in 2017-18 and 1-1 so far this season. But they are 0-6 in the playoffs with Foster as a referee, though there is no evidence of unfavorable officiating in those games.

One of those six losses was their Game 7 defeat to Golden State in the 2018 Western Conference Finals.

“I don’t know what else to do,” Paul said, according to Rachel Nichols of ESPN. “I’ve met with the league with him before. I don’t know what else to do.”

Paul went on a post-game rant about Foster in particular after a January 2018 game where he received a technical foul.

“I got a tech tonight,” Paul said. “Scott Foster at his finest. He just ... never fails.

“That’s Scott. He’s the man. That’s who they pay to see.”

Paul’s issue with Foster in 2018 was the same as Harden’s on Thursday night. Players can’t talk to him.

“Some of them, you can [communicate] with. You’ve just gotta figure out who you can and you can’t,” he said.

Foster has been a league official since the 1994-95 season and has taken on many high-profile assignments. However, he is not well-liked among many players, not just the Rockets. In 2016, the Los Angeles Times anonymously surveyed players on who they believed were the league’s best and worst officials. Foster was the landslide winner in the latter category.

Foster was also a close friend of disgraced referee Tim Donaghy, who was accused of gambling on NBA games, including ones he officiated. According to a Fox Sports report, Donaghy made 134 phone calls to Foster during the period in which he admitted to betting on games.

Foster was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing by the FBI and the league’s own investigation, and was allowed to continue on as an official.