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Was Gilbert Arenas Targeted by Refs? Exploring Former NBA Star’s Decade Old Beef After Defending Chris Paul

Published 11/28/2023, 12:43 PM EST

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It is necessary to have respect between players and referees. It is not every day that we hear that a referee has a personal vendetta against a player. But over the years, many players have expressed that some referees intentionally try to sabotage them. One of the players who has spoken out on this in the past is Gilbert Arenas.

With the recent issues between Chris Paul and Scott Foster, Arenas is supporting the player. It is no secret that Chris Paul is not a fan of Scott Foster or his refereeing. But this didn’t stop Foster from ejecting Chris Paul from a game a few days ago.

Scott Foster and Chris Paul should not be together

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Throughout his career, Chris Paul has had a 3-17 record when Foster was part of the match. This has now become a major talking point after his recent ejection in a game against the Phoenix Suns. NBA players cannot criticize and complain about referees in public, as this would make them vulnerable to fines. But retired veterans have nothing to worry about.

In a recent episode of Gil’s Arena, Gilbert Arenas talked about the drama between Chris Paul and Scott Foster. He was in support of Chris Paul, as he himself faced a similar situation during his playing career.

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Arenas said that at this point, it is torture for Paul when he walks into a match and sees that it is Foster refereeing. This has put both of them in a lose-lose situation, as the fans and players know that it is not an anomaly and that something is really happening between the two.

Arenas said, “It’s emotional abuse. When that man walks in and sees Scott, what the f**k do you think happens in that game? He is done. He is done. The team is done. The arena is done.

Thus, if Foster keeps doing what he does, then Paul and his teammates will be more upset, but if he changes it up and gives more favorable calls to Paul, then the other team will have a problem. Thus, the only solution is to stop Foster and Paul from ever being in the same match again.

Gilbert Arenas’ troubles with the referees

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Back in 2009, Gilbert Arenas returned to Washington after playing only 15 games in total in the previous two seasons. Upon his return, Arenas could not average the points that he used to. This led to him calling out the referees for not giving him the calls that he deserved.

Arenas publicly said that every referee is targeting him. According to Bleacher Report, Arenas said that they had decided not to give him the calls when he was driving to the lane to create contact, and thus Arenas was greatly upset. Now, he is vocal that a similar situation is detrimental to Chris Paul.

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What do you think of the Chris Paul and Scott Foster situation? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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Written by:

Rijin Varghese

687Articles

One take at a time

I did not follow the traditional route to become a journalist, but my love for basketball and writing has brought me here. Seeing LeBron James? Cleveland Cavaliers make the iconic comeback from a 1-3 deficit in 2016 changed everything for a young engineering aspirant within me. Rather than simply looking at the game, I love to analyze how each player contributes to a team using BPM (Box Plus Minus) and other advanced metrics.
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