Ex-star Gilbert Arenas calls NBA referees ‘f**king emotional dudes’ after Chris Paul’s ejection

No one really expected Chris Paul to be ejected from this week’s game between the Warriors and Suns late in the second quarter. Once again, Scott Foster was the NBA official who took the decision, as it has been known for years that he’s had a complicated relationship with the Point God.

It all started when the Golden State guard committed a foul on superstar Kevin Durant during a defensive possession, which resulted in both player and referee arguing about the decision. Paul raised his hand for a second and apparently that was enough to hand him his second technical of the match.

Former star Gilbert Arenas, who owns one of the most popular podcasts around the league, took a dig at NBA officials after they’ve started out this season with many controversial decisions. Not only did he also have his fare share of run-ins with referees back when he played, he also is witnessing how easily athletes are punished nowadays just for showing little emotion.

CP3 gotta control his emotions but Scott Foster don’t gotta control his? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/WZQzM0rxa8

— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) November 23, 2023

“Someone should ask Adam Silver this, ‘If I’m a player, I’m playing a game that’s emotional, I’m acting in real time, real deep human emotions and when I don’t control my emotions, a ref can give me a technical [foul],” he said about officials getting too involved with the players.

Arenas doesn’t believe referees are hold accountable as much as the competitors are. “Which means, whatever I said to him, irritated him so bad that he didn’t control his emotions and he gave me a tech. So, my emotions, led to him being emotional but he gets to give me a technical and that’s fine. How?'” he asked.

“There’s no nothing for him,” Gilbert added. “He doesn’t leave it with a win or loss. Whatever he does, $6,000, $3,000, whatever he makes, he gets it no matter f**king what.”

On his own podcast, Arenas ranted about what justifies an official to act so poorly on the basketball court. “What’s a ref’s record? 0 ad f***ing 0 his whole career. There’s no win or loss. You just look at the game … That’s the most f***ing emotional dudes in the game,” he concluded.

Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant were also impressed by Paul’s ejection, who called out the ref’s decision as a personal vendetta

Not only did Chris felt surprised after the ejection, describing it a personal revenge from Scott Foster, but also the other players on court didn’t understand the referee’s call.

“I think we were down double digits already, and we obviously needed CP and his leadership and the way he manages the game. I don’t like and appreciate – I know there’s history and all that, I know he talked about it, when both the player and the ref engage in conversation, that has to kind of stay there. I told Scott that after he ejected him,” Stephen Curry said postgame.

Once Phoenix conquered the match on Wednesday night, forward Kevin Durant gave his take on the matter and gave a very candid reaction.

“I didn’t see it coming, but I looked it up and they was talking for a little bit longer,” said the Suns star. “I kinda felt like it wasn’t a warm exchange. I knew after I saw a couple extra minutes of them talking, I knew something different. I didn’t get to hear what was going, but it was this crazy sequence of what like, three or four techs, Chris getting thrown out the game. You know the history that him and Scott has, it was definitely a weird ending to the half, but I’m glad we got points out of it.”