- NBA referee Scott Foster got a bloody lip after an on-court collision with LeBron James Saturday.
- Foster joked with James after the incident that the NBA legend has wanted to rough him up for years.
Longtime NBA referee Scott Foster had a little fun with LeBron James after an on-court collision between the two gave Foster a bloody lip on Saturday.
Footage from Game 3 of the Western Conference finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets $4, who served as crew chief for the match-up, as they ran up the court.
Foster was given a towel as James apologized to him, explaining that he was "already in sprint mode" as Foster tried to get out of the NBA legend's path.
—NBA (@NBA) $4
"You've been wanting to do that for 25 years," the referee joked, referring to both his and James' tenure in the league. James is currently playing in his 20th season, while Foster has officiated 1,617 regular-season games in 28 seasons, according to the $4.
In a moment picked up by microphones, James' teammate Austin Reaves also quipped that James should have received a technical foul for the incident. Foster continued to officiate for the remainder of the game.
Following the second-quarter scuffle, the Lakers saw a must-win game slip from their fingers, losing their third straight game to the Nuggets 119–108. The Los Angeles team now faces nearly impossible odds — no NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in the playoffs, and only 13 playoff teams have bounced back from 3-1, per $4.
Game 4 of the Western Conference finals is scheduled for Monday at 8:30 p.m. Eastern.