LOS ANGELES — Eighteen years ago rapper Kurupt (one half of the group Tha Dogg Pound) dropped an epic diss that spared no feelings entitled “Calling Out Names“, on Thursday night Houston Rockets guard James Harden did his own version of it, referring to NBA referee Scott Foster as “arrogant and ignorant.“
In the Rockets 111-106 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center, Harden picked up three quick fouls in the first quarter and would later foul out of the game. Now his streak of 30+ point games remains in tact (32), and besides the loss it appeared this feud between the Rockets and Foster had been brewing for a long time.
“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],” Harden explained. “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 wasn’t the only player that had words for Foster, Rockets guard Chris Paul was whistled for a technical foul with about 35 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Paul disputed an original foul call on him against Brandon Ingram.
“I don’t know what else to do, know what I mean?” a frustrated Paul said post game. “I met with the league with him before and all this stuff. I don’t know what else to do.”
Despite losing a 19-point lead to Los Angeles, as Houston suffered it’s third loss in three games, the team believes Foster has it out for them.
“For sure, it’s personal. For sure,” Harden said on Foster’s referee style.
