Watch: Chris Paul ejected by nemesis ref Foster

There's a new chapter in the Chris Paul-Scott Foster feud.

The Golden State Warriors point guard was ejected early from Wednesday's contest against the Phoenix Suns by the veteran ref, with whom he shares a long and tumultuous history. Foster assessed the 38-year-old a pair of technical fouls in quick succession with 23.2 seconds remaining in the second quarter after Paul appeared to repeatedly express his frustration with the official.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr received a tech of his own for defending Paul and then appeared to continue the conversation with Foster at the end of the first half before heading to the locker room.

"It's personal," Paul said postgame, according to ESPN's Kendra Andrews. "We had a situation some years ago and it's personal. The league knows. Everybody knows. There was a meeting and all of that. ... I'm OK with a ref saying whatever they're saying, but don't use a tech to get your point across."

"I didn't think Chris deserved to be ejected," Kerr said. "The first tech, absolutely. But I thought the second one was unnecessary. Everybody gets frustrated out there."

Paul has also complained about Foster following multiple run-ins in recent years. He's also mentioned having conversations with the league about the official.

During his time with the Houston Rockets, Paul publicly criticized Foster for the first time after a January regular-season win for giving him a technical foul.

"Yeah, Scott Foster at his finest," he said after a Jan. 11, 2018 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, courtesy of ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "You know what I mean? He just never fails."

In the 2020 postseason bubble, Paul's Oklahoma City Thunder lost their first-round series against the Rockets in seven games. After their elimination, Paul told reporters that Foster - who officiated that Game 7 loss and assessed Paul a controversial delay-of-game violation - approached him pregame and reminded Paul that he had officiated the guard's 2008 Game 7 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the West semifinals. At that time, Paul, still with the New Orleans Hornets and in his third season, was playing in his first postseason.

Paul lost 13 straight playoff contests that were officiated by Foster - a streak that ended in April 2023 with the Suns' Game 2 first-round victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. Throughout his career, the 12-time All-Star is 2-17 in games involving Foster.

Wednesday was Paul's first game back in Phoenix since the Warriors acquired the 12-time All-Star.

Foster also assessed Kevin Durant a technical foul late in Wednesday's contest. The Suns still managed to hold on for a 123-115 victory.