It has become common practice to hear the opinions on officiating from fans, pundits, coaches, and players alike. However, it is a rarity to hear the opinions of the referees. They have to remain impartial, or that's what you would at least assume.

Former NBA ref Bill Spooner broke the barrier in an interview with The Athletic when naming the player he used to hate officiating, and it's safe to say he didn't hold back, even going as far as calling the player in question an 'a**hole.'

Spooner spent 32 years with the NBA and has encountered legends of the game, from Jordan to Kobe to LeBron, but it was neither of these legends that he named when discussing his most disliked player to ref.

"I'm going to tell you, and I know you are recording me, but I get asked all the time: 'Who are some of the tough guys, some of the bad guys?'

"And when I tell them that Chris Paul, in my 32 years in the league, was one of the biggest a**holes I ever dealt with, they say, 'Not Rasheed Wallace … or da-da-da?' Nope. Nothing like (Paul).

"And they are like, 'Oh, he seems like such a nice guy.' And I say, 'Yeah, he's a great image cultivator.'"

Other NBA Referees Also Had Altercations With Player

Chris Paul retired from the NBA earlier this year with 12 All-Star appearances to his name, and it wasn't just Spooner who he had altercations with, as he also had an infamous feud with veteran referee Scott Foster.

Spooner addressed Paul's dislike of Foster and came to the defence of his former colleague.

"Every era has the referee who everybody hates. But guess what? They are the ones working the big games. Earl Strom, Jake (O'Donnell), Joey Crawford … everybody hated those guys," Spooner said. "Same with Scott. But if it's a big game, and the league wants somebody to run the game, Scott is going to be on it. Because he is a damn good referee."

The latest episode of the Paul-Foster rivalry came last November. Late into the second quarter of Chris Paul's Golden State Warriors' 123-115 loss to the Phoenix Suns, Foster ejected Paul from the game after a pair of technical fouls that came in quick succession of each other.

"It's personal. The league knows, everybody knows, there's been a meeting," Paul said after the game. "I'm OK with a ref talking, just don't use a tech to get your point across."

To counter this, Paul's teammate, Draymond Green, revealed on his podcast, The Draymond Green Show, he actually likes Foster.

"One of my favourite officials, which I guess is odd for most people, is Scott Foster. I love Scott, by the way."

Green said he appreciates knowing what he is going to get from Foster because he draws a clear line.