De’Aaron Fox is set to return to Sacramento on Friday for the first time since the Kings traded him to the San Antonio Spurs last month. His homecoming at Golden 1 Center is expected to be met with a mix of emotions from fans who once cheered him as the face of the franchise.
After spending eight seasons with the Kings, Fox’s exit remains a sore subject for many in Sacramento. Some fans, such as Christina Strategos, plan to make their displeasure known.
“He’s gonna get booed. ... It’s a part of the game,” Strategos said Monday while watching the Kings cruise to a 122-98 win over the Dallas Mavericks at MoJo’s Local Tap & Kitchen downtown.
Fox, though he never formally requested a trade, identified San Antonio as his preferred destination after the Kings told him he was being shopped. The news came during a midseason losing streak, adding to the frustration of fans who believed he was a franchise cornerstone.
Strategos, who has rooted for the Kings through thick and thin, said her approach to Friday’s matchup is simple: “My energy is ‘light the beam’ and put it in his face.”
“We’re loyal Kings fans, and he’s not a King anymore,” she quipped.
Robert Marshall, who watched Monday’s game at Tom’s Watch Bar just outside the arena in DoCo, believes Fox should expect a chilly reception from the crowd.
“You literally went to another team and you’re coming back home,” Marshall said. “As real fans, we are probably going to boo you.”
Marshall considered what Fox has meant to the organization since being drafted to the Kings in 2017.
“He does deserve to be cheered, but as a competitor — you’re going to boo the other team, whoever’s on the other team, you’re going to boo,” he said.
Still, some believe Fox deserves appreciation for what he meant to the team.
Tony Oliver, enjoying a beer at MoJo’s, said he sees no reason to jeer Fox.
“He played here for a long time. I don’t have anything against him,” Oliver said. “I know he didn’t want to stay. He put in a lot of good years with us. Ultimately, he thought he had a better opportunity there (in San Antonio).”
Fox, drafted No. 5 overall by Sacramento in 2017, left his mark on the franchise. He averaged 21.5 points and 6.1 assists on 47% shooting during his Kings tenure, earning an All-Star nod, an All-NBA selection, and leading Sacramento to the playoffs in 2023, ending the team’s 16-year postseason drought.
“I mean, it’s a business. We wish he would have stayed, but I don’t know the whole backstory,” Oliver said. “Lots of people get traded all the time. He put in a lot of years for us.
“It doesn’t seem right to boo.”
And many fans have appreciated what the Kings got in return: Zach LaVine, who has quickly made an impact in Sacramento.
LaVine was named NBA Western Conference Player of the Week on Monday after leading the Kings to a 4-0 run before Wednesday’s loss in Denver. In the last 10 games, LaVine has averaged 23.3 points, 4.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 52.1% from the field and 43.2% from beyond the arc.
His breakout performance included a season-high 42 points in a win over the Charlotte Hornets, where he shot 16 of 19 from the field and 8 of 9 from deep. It marked the first time in his career he earned Player of the Week honors.
Michael Williams, a Sacramento native and Kings fan currently studying in Germany, said he would have attended the game if not for an impending flight back to Europe.
“I probably would not have booed,” Williams said. “I get why people are booing, but I have more important things in my life than booing a guy doing what he wants.”
Williams said he enjoyed watching Fox play but is now focused on the team’s future.
“At the end of the day, I’m a Kings fan,” he said. “I’m moving on.”