It was a day that sent shockwaves through the basketball world. The news broke in October 2025 that the FBI had arrested several high-profile NBA figures, including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, as part of a massive probe into illegal gambling and organized crime. As fans scrambled to process the stunning headlines, another name suddenly trended across social media: veteran referee Scott Foster. Whispers and outright claims that Foster had also been arrested in the early morning hours began to fly, but this time, the story was fueled more by his controversial past than by the facts on the ground.
The viral rumor, which some attributed to fake posts mimicking ESPN insider Shams Charania, claimed FBI agents arrested Foster outside his Maryland home and that he was being charged with manipulating games for most of his 30-year career. It was a sensational story that fit a troubling narrative, but federal authorities and official news reports quickly debunked it. Scott Foster was not arrested, indicted, or charged as part of this FBI investigation. The league, while cooperating with authorities on the actual arrests, had no statement regarding Foster because he was simply not involved in this particular scandal.
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A Referee Dogged by Controversy and Gambling Speculation
So, why did Foster’s name immediately come to mind during a gambling scandal? To understand that, you have to look at his long and often controversial career. For 30 years, Scott Foster hasn’t just been any referee; to many players and fans, he’s public enemy number one. In a 2023 poll, over a quarter of NBA players voted him the worst official in the league. He’s earned the infamous nickname “The Extender” for a perceived pattern of his officiating leading to teams trailing in a playoff series winning games, thereby extending the series and, as conspiracy theorists suggest, league revenue.
Finally gonna get him.. Scott Foster has thrown too many games pic.twitter.com/MV8S9VJfbd
— Sean Malone (@shaldarr01) October 24, 2025
His history is dotted with high-profile feuds, most notably with future Hall-of-Fame Chris Paul. Paul’s teams had a staggering 0-13 record in playoff games officiated by Foster before finally breaking the streak in 2023, a stat that fuels suspicion. More recently, in March 2024, Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert was fined $100,000 for making a blatant “money sign” gesture at Foster after a foul call, an explicit accusation of gambling-based officiating that resonated across the league. These incidents, among many others, have created a deep well of distrust that fans and players draw from whenever scandal hits.
The most significant shadow, however, comes from the past. During the 2007 investigation that led to referee Tim Donaghy pleading guilty to betting on games he officiated, phone records revealed a staggering 134 calls between Donaghy and Foster in a seven-month period leading up to Donaghy’s exposure. While Foster was never charged with any crime and the nature of those calls was never proven to be nefarious, that association has proven inescapable. In the current climate, with real FBI arrests happening, that old suspicion was enough to make a fake rumor about Foster feel plausible to a large segment of the NBA audience.
Navigating the Aftermath in a League Under Scrutiny
The fallout from the very real FBI arrests puts the NBA in a delicate position. Commissioner Adam Silver has broken his silence, emphasizing the league’s cooperation and the seriousness with which it takes the allegations. He has spoken about the need for more federal regulation of sports betting and monitoring for “aberrational behavior.” Yet, as fans are quick to point out online, the league has also deeply embraced partnerships with gambling companies, creating a complex and often contradictory relationship with the world of sports betting.
BREAKING: Scott Foster is under investigation after uninstalling the BET365 app following his officiating duties last night.
(Via @ChrisBHayne) pic.twitter.com/iJnbg7jVGM
— NBACentel (@TheNBACentel) June 14, 2025
For now, Scott Foster remains on the job, a figure as divisive as any superstar player. While Pacers coach Rick Carlisle recently came to his defense, calling the scrutiny “terrible and unfair and unjust and stupid,” the court of public opinion is less forgiving. The false arrest rumor, though debunked, highlights a much deeper issue for the NBA: a significant credibility problem. Even when a referee is officially cleared of legal wrongdoing, a lifetime of controversial calls and a permanent link to the Donaghy scandal can convict him in the eyes of many.
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As the real-life legal drama of the arrested coaches and players unfolds, Foster’s situation serves as a reminder that in today’s NBA, the stains of scandal are not always washed away by a not-guilty verdict.
