During Monday evening’s contest between the Miami Heat and New York Knicks from Madison Square Garden, NBA referee Scott Foster went down with what was later revealed to be a calf injury and was unable to return to the game. Foster was the second non-player to leave the game due to a medical situation, as earlier, famous Knicks fan Tracy Morgan had left after getting sick due to food poisoning.
Recently, it was revealed that there is no timetable for Scott Foster’s return to action, meaning that he could miss the upcoming NBA playoffs, which are set to begin in one month, per Fred Katz of The Athletic.
Recently, NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal took to the Instagram comment section under a post from ClutchPoints reporting this news, stating simply, “good,” in response to Foster’s injury.
Scott Foster has accumulated somewhat of a mixed bag of a reputation over the years. On the one hand, the NBA clearly respects him as one of their preeminent referees, as he has handled countless Finals and other high leverage playoff games in his nearly three decades-long career.
On the other hand, Foster has become known for his controversial calls at times and seemingly one-sided officiating of certain teams and players, including a recent winless streak for Chris Paul in games officiated by Foster.
Still, it probably wasn’t the classiest thing for O’Neal, who was himself officiated by Foster on several occasions throughout his career, to respond to his injury as a positive thing.
If Foster is indeed out for the playoffs, it could force the NBA to move one of its less experienced referees up higher into the rotation for high leverage postseason and Finals games beginning this spring.
While Foster may not be a fan favorite, he certainly knows how to handle the biggest moments.
The post Shaq gives brutal 1-word reaction to NBA ref Scott Foster’s injury appeared first on ClutchPoints.
