De'Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
De'Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings
Amid San Antonio Spurs’ De’Aaron Fox’s return to Sacramento, the star guard opened up on his final days with the Kings before his trade in February.
In a recent interview with ESPN, Fox revealed that he never asked for a trade and wanted to spend his career with one team. He discussed his love for the city and the atmosphere in Sacramento:
“Everybody bled purple. It was always great just going to the grocery store, going out to a restaurant. Everybody there was extremely kind. And when we started winning, then it was ‘light the beam’ everywhere.”
The team, which reached the playoffs for the first time since 2006 in 2024, opened the season 13-18 before moving on from head coach Mike Brown, a move that was a catalyst in Fox’s abrupt exit from the Kings:
“I was like, ‘Yo, I’ve been here for going on my eighth year. If Mike gets fired, I’ll be going on my fifth coach. And I told them, ‘I’m not going to play for another coach. I’m going to play for another team.'”
Fox’s position is one that’s completely understandable, as the constant turnover would be off putting to any star. At 27, he’s entering his prime and understands that the another shift is potentially another lost season. The Kings’ constant shift has highlighted many issues within the organization and why the team has had so little success over the past 20 years.
Although the Kings have gon 20-11 since the firing, Fox’s time was indeed done. On February 2nd, the Kings officially traded Fox to the Spurs as a part of a three team trade that also sent then Chicago Bull Zach Lavine to Sacramento. Fox looks to build a contender with Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama and rookie Stephon Castle.
Fox and the Spurs would fall to the Kings 127-109 with Fox adding 16 points and 8 assists. There were mixed emotions around the arena fans both cheered and booed their former star. While Fox is no longer a Sacramento King, it’s hard to articulate how much the city meant to him and vice versa, but the years he gave to the team are something the fans will never forget.