De’Aaron Fox did not get the hero’s welcome he was probably hoping for Friday in his return to his old stomping grounds.
Fox’s San Antonio Spurs visited the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., for the first time in an opposing team’s uniform. The Kings traded Fox in a three-team deal just before last month’s NBA trade deadline.
When Fox was announced during starting lineups introductions, he got a loud applause from his former fans. But Fox also received an audible amount of boos to go along with the cheers.
De'Aaron Fox in warmups
Mar 7, 2022; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) warms up before the game against the New York Knicks at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
The cheers for Fox drowned out any boos when the Kings showed a tribute video for the 6’3″ guard during an early stoppage in play.
Sacramento reportedly made Fox available in trade talks just weeks before the February deadline. He was in his eighth season with the team before getting dealt to the Spurs.
The Kings drafted Fox fifth overall in 2017 right after moving on from fellow Kentucky alum DeMarcus Cousins. The shifty guard soon developed into Sacramento’s best player, averaging 21.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists across 514 games played in a Kings uniform.
Fox made his only All-Star team during the 2022-23 season, the same year he won the first-ever Clutch Player of the Year Award. He had his best season last year when he raised his scoring average to a career-high 26.6 points and led the league with his 2.0 steals per game.