Why NBA's choice of Scott Foster and Tony Brothers for Finals is already dividing fans
Why NBA’s choice of Scott Foster and Tony Brothers for Finals is already dividing fans originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The 2026 NBA Finals haven’t tipped off yet and the officiating crew is already the story. That’s not a good sign.
The NBA confirmed the full list of referees for the Spurs-Knicks series, with Game 1 set for Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET in San Antonio. Twelve officials made the cut, headlined by veterans Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, Marc Davis, James Capers and Zach Zarba.
This will be Foster’s 19th Finals appearance, Brothers’ and Davis’ 15th each, Capers’ 14th and Zarba’s 13th. The league said officials were selected based on grades, play-calling accuracy, and team ratings from NBA Referee Operations. But folks weren’t buying it.
The NBA today announced the game officials assigned to the 2026 NBA Finals.
Below is the list of officials for the Finals ⬇️
More: https://t.co/79Iox04O01pic.twitter.com/FVQvUmkwfv
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) June 2, 2026
One user didn’t mince words, writing, “Tony Brothers dude Tony Brothers is possibly the worst ref in the NBA… these refs are awful.”
Another went straight for Foster, adding, “Scott Foster 19th Finals. Bro this gotta be some bullsh–.”
A third viewer noted, “Putting Tony Brothers and Scott Foster on the whistle for the Finals is not about securing clean basketball, it is about securing prime-time drama.”
The fourth one claimed, “The internet will not be calm about this.”
The NBPA complicated matters weeks ago by releasing its 2025–26 referee survey. Based on feedback from 411 players across all 30 teams, the union recommended that only Tier 1 officials work the NBA Finals. Foster landed in Tier 2. The union described him as the league’s most polarizing official, noting he had the highest variance in player scores.
Still, he made the Finals list. One frustrated fan remarked, “NBA players voted Scott Foster into their Tier 2 refs list, and they still stick him in the Finals.”
Frustration surrounding Foster and Tony Brothers is a years-old story. In anonymous surveys by the Los Angeles Times in 2016 and The Athletic in 2023, players voted Foster the worst referee in the league.
Tony Brothers has his own reputation, built over two decades of controversial calls in high-stakes elimination games. However, the chatter is not going anywhere soon and it likely got louder after Game 1 tipoff.
More NBA news:
- The Knicks may have a plan for Victor Wembanyama—but not for this
- Spurs insider reveals surprising untold story behind Gregg Popovich’s biggest career turning point
- This dog’s Spurs Finals pick has Knicks fans more fired up than ever
- Thunder urged to trade Chet Holmgren for $186M Finals champion, former MVP, 10x All-Star
- 10 of 13 ESPN analysts agree on one thing about the NBA Finals — and Knicks fans won’t like it
