James Harden Blasts Official Scott Foster
James Harden has publicly criticised referee Scott Foster after fouling out toward the end of the game on Thursday night.
Harden’s disqualifying foul with 1:24 left of the 111-106 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers was his fourth offensive foul of the game.
The call was actually made by Michael Smith. However, Scott Foster was the crew chief, and James Harden wasn’t about the blame anybody else.
James Harden even went as far as to say that Scott Foster has a “personal†issue with him. He added that Foster shouldn’t be allowed to officiate any more Houston Rockets games.
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“Scott Foster, man. I never really talk about officiating or anything like that, but just rude and arrogant,” said Harden.
“I mean, you aren’t able to talk to him throughout the course of the game, and it’s like, how do you build that relationship with officials? And it’s not even that call [on the sixth foul]. It’s just who he is on that floor.
“It’s pretty frustrating. And I’m probably going to get hit [with a fine], but honestly, I don’t really say anything. I’m a pretty quiet guy, to myself, but it’s one of those things where you can’t voice your opinion. You can’t have a conversation with someone that’s officiating the game. You’re getting a tech. It’s pretty sad.”
Harden was clearly smarting after the away defeat to the Lakers. Although, to be fair to him, Foster is a notoriously bad official.
In 2016, Foster was voted the worst official in the NBA by an LA Times poll of players and coaches. He has been refereeing in the league for 25 years.
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Foster was the crew chief on December 22, 2017 – the last time Harden fouled out in a game. That game was also a defeat for the Rockets, that time to the Clippers.
“It’s lingering, and it’s something that has to be looked at for sure,” Harden said.
“For sure, it’s personal. For sure. I don’t think he should be able to even officiate our games anymore, honestly.”
