After spending his first 7.5 seasons in the NBA with the Sacramento Kings, De’Aaron Fox is making his first trip to Golden 1 Center as a visitor on Friday night.
Traded to the San Antonio Spurs prior to the February trade deadline, the 27-year-old guard said he “definitely appreciate the time” that he had with Sacramento.
When asked about his favorite moment in Golden 1 Center, he pointed to the predictable but understandable answer of game one of the 2023 playoffs, breaking the franchise’s 17-year playoff drought.
Since the move was made, the Kings’ fanbase has had mixed feelings about Fox’s exit. When they previewed the game over a week ago, showing Fox on the graphic, it was met with clear boos from the fans in attendance.
“For people that I’ve come across already, it’s been a lot of love,” De’Aaron Fox said at Friday’s morning shootaround. His Spurs were set to play in Sacramento that night. “I was 19 years old when I got here. I was welcomed with open arms.”
“I appreciate the time that I had here. I had a lot of fun here,” he continued. “So, it’s definitely not something that I take for granted.”
It will be interesting to see the reception De’Aaron Fox receives on his return to the Golden 1 Center. Sacramento forward Keegan Murray, who had a close relationship with Fox and his family, hopes it will be kind.
“I just think he gave his all when he was here,” Murray said after shootaround. “So, I just hope the best reception for him.”
While Fox’s return is certainly an added narrative to the night, one which is slightly bogged down by the unavailability of Malik Monk (toe) and Domantas Sabonis (hamstring), it’s almost an important game on the schedule.
Sitting at 9th in the Western Conference, two games behind 6th but just four games ahead of 11th. The Kings need every game they can get, no matter the opponent.
More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports
It’s shaping up to be an emotional night at Golden 1 Center on Friday as De’Aaron Fox returns to Sacramento.
Fox, whose eight-year tenure with the Sacramento Kings ended in February after a trade sent the All-Star guard to San Antonio, departed from the organization that drafted him in 2017 on a somewhat sour note.
Starting with the firing of former head coach Mike Brown earlier this season, Fox’s relationship with the Kings organization took a turn for the worse in recent months, opting for the guard and his representation–NBA super-agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports–to start contemplating other situations for Fox’s next stop.
Read More:
De’Aaron Fox: ‘I truly wanted to play for one team my whole career.’
Upcoming schedule for the 2024-25 Sacramento Kings
Friday, March 7th – vs. San Antonio Spurs – 7:00 PM PT
Sunday, March 9th – @ Los Angeles Clippers – 6:30 PM PT
Monday, March 10th – vs. New York Knicks – 7:30 PM PT
Thursday, March 13th – @ Golden State Warriors – 7:00 PM PT
Friday, March 14th – @ Phoenix Suns – 7:00 PM PT
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