One of the biggest moves of the NBA trade deadline was when former All-NBA point guard De’Aaron Fox was traded to the San Antonio Spurs. With superstar center Victor Wembanyama sidelined for the remainder of the season, Fox has taken control of the offense.
Fox spent his entire eight-year career with the Sacramento Kings, but it seems he had a falling out with his former teammates and coaches when he was traded. When asked about San Antonio’s March 7 matchup against his former team, Fox didn’t mince words.
De’Aaron Fox Throws Shade Toward Former Sacramento Kings Teammates
The one-time All-Star isn’t concerned about whether Kings fans will cheer or boo him when he returns to the Golden 1 Center. He says he won’t give any “bitter people” the time of day.
“For the people who still love me, obviously, I really appreciate that. I was there for so long. For the people who don’t, we’re never worried about bitter people,” Fox said.
Fox has made headlines recently, but for all the wrong reasons. He was criticized for his cryptic response to unfollowing Kings center Domantas Sabonis on Instagram, and later wrote in a now-deleted post on X: “Everybody has the same story about the dysfunction, but yeah, it’s my fault.”
Many fans were surprised by how unpleasant Fox’s departure from Sacramento was. He reportedly had a strong relationship with Malik Monk, who played with him at the University of Kentucky in the 2016-17 season. Monk later commented on the matter, and it’s possible their friendship has soured since.
“It was crazy because [Fox] was one of the reasons I came [to Sacramento], 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.”
Despite the memories Fox gave Sacramento fans during his tenure, it’s possible he’ll hear more boos than cheers from Kings fans. His exit has been far from smooth, and he appears to hold grudges with multiple individuals within the organization.
Since joining his new team, Fox’s numbers have dropped. He’s averaging 19.3 points through 13 games, down nearly six points from his Sacramento average. His shooting percentage has also fallen from 46.9% to 43.7%. However, the lightning-quick point guard will have extra motivation to perform well against his former team.