Scott Foster should not be expecting a “get well soon” card from Shaquille O’Neal.
The veteran NBA referee Foster was the crew chief for Monday’s game between the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks but was not out on the floor for the fourth quarter. As a result, Foster’s crew finished out the game as a two-man unit.
On Tuesday, the NBA revealed that Foster’s early exit from the game was because he had suffered a calf injury. No timetable was given either for a potential return to action by Foster, 57.
The Basketball Hall of Famer O’Neal reacted to the news on Wednesday with a very harsh comment. O’Neal responded to an Instagram post relaying that Foster would be out indefinitely with his injury.
“Good,” O’Neal bluntly wrote in reply.
Foster is one of the longest-tenured referees in the NBA, having worked games for the league since 1994. But he is also one of the most unpopular referees around and has feuded with multiple stars over the years. Foster has a negative reputation among fans as well, in part because of his alleged tendency to favor the team trailing in a playoff series (earning Foster the pejorative nickname of “The Extender”).
O’Neal played in the NBA from 1992-2011 before retiring, so he is definitely familiar with Foster’s game. That said though, O’Neal was not really a fan of NBA referees in general and once had the exact same reaction to some news about another official that he did not like.
