Chris Paul’s return to Phoenix didn’t go as planned. The veteran point guard, who spent the previous three seasons with the Suns, faced his former team as a member of the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night and received an ejection.
Paul was ejected toward the end of the first half after getting into an argument with referee Scott Foster. The two have a previous history of incidents, which probably played a part in the way the situation unfolded.
After Foster called Paul for a foul on Kevin Durant, the 12-time All-Star started arguing the call and received a technical. The discussion continued, with Paul becoming increasingly animated, causing Foster to give him another technical, which resulted in an automatic ejection.
Paul finished the game with six points, two rebounds, and six assists. The Warriors went on to suffer a 123-115 loss.
“It’s personal, Paul told reporters after the game. “We had a situation some years ago, and it’s personal. The league knows, everybody knows, and it’s been a meeting and all that. It’s a situation with my son and so, yeah. I’m OK with a ref talking, saying whatever, just don’t use a tech to get your point across. I gotta do a better job making sure I stay on the floor for my teammates. But, yeah, that’s that.”
During his three seasons with the Suns, Paul helped the franchise make three straight playoff trips and one NBA Finals appearance. He was traded during the offseason to the Washington Wizards in a deal that landed Bradley Beal in Phoenix. The Wizards shipped Paul to the Warriors for Jordan Poole shortly after.
