De'Aaron Fox made his highly anticipated return to Sacramento on Friday night, facing the Kings for the first time since they traded him to the San Antonio Spurs earlier this season.
Fox, drafted by the Kings in 2017, spent seven and a half seasons in Sacramento, developing into the face of the franchise. He played a key role in their short-lived resurgence, leading the team to the NBA playoffs two seasons ago-their first postseason appearance since 2005-06.
However, after the Kings fired head coach Mike Brown earlier this season, Fox made it clear he wasn't willing to play under another coach in Sacramento.
"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,'" Fox told ESPN. "And I told them, 'I'm not going to play for another coach. I'm going to play for another team.'"
Then, following Friday's game, Fox's wife, Recee Fox, exchanged heated words with Kings guard Malik Monk.
"VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED: This video contains strong language. Watch at your own discretion."
De'Aaron's Wife vs Malik Monk after tonight's game #SacramentoKings#LightTheBeampic.twitter.com/8m9a9gpAKe
— Isaac (@Isaac4kings) March 8, 2025
Here's another angle between the two:
Malik Monk and Reece Fox going at it postgame pic.twitter.com/gpbUo0XI6o
— Grogu's Uncle (@bluemagoo98) March 8, 2025
It's unclear exactly what started the encounter, but it's clear Fox's wife was not happy with Monk.
Monk and Fox have a long history together, dating back to their college days at Kentucky. After the trade, Monk even acknowledged that Fox was a key reason he chose to sign with Sacramento back in 2022.
"It was crazy because he was one of the reasons I came here for sure," Monk said. " But yeah, we've got to move on. I know it's a business. By the looks of it, they say he wanted to be out of here, so he got what he wanted."
The Kings went on to defeat the Spurs 127-109. Fox finished with 16 points, four rebounds and eight assists, while Monk didn't play due to an injured toe.
Related: De'Aaron Fox's Parting Message Catches Attention
Related: Spurs Send Eight-Word Message to De'Aaron Fox After Major NBA Trade
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This story was originally published March 8, 2025 at 12:31 PM.