De'Aaron Fox spent the first seven and a half years of his NBA career with the Sacramento Kings. 13 months after a trade to the San Antonio Spurs, there is no doubt about where the two-time All-Star's focus lies, including when he returns to his former home.
“Nah, it's just another game for me,” Fox said. “We're worried about ourselves. We're worried about trying to win a championship.”
Fox's tenure in Sacramento included the franchise's two best seasons in the last 20 years. The 2022-2023 team won a division championship with 48 wins. The following year, the Kings won 46. That was the organization's most successful season since a 50-win campaign in 2004-05.
“Obviously, it's sweet coming back here because I get to see people that I've seen for so many years. But, other than that, when we get between those lines, it's a normal game,” Fox reiterated.
De'Aaron Fox comments on the current Kings
Quite a bit is different in Sacramento compared to February of 2024, when a trade sent Fox to San Antonio. Kings star Domantas Sabonis is out for the rest of this season following meniscus surgery. Russell Westbrook, who started in their 132-104 loss to the 51-18 Spurs in their most recent contest, is now a key rotational player.
“I mean, obviously, personnel and everything's changed, but I don't watch them any more than I watch any other team,” Fox said.
At 18-52 following the loss to the Spurs, the Kings sport the worst record in the West. It's a spot these Spurs are somewhat familiar with. Two years ago, they finished 22-60 with a rookie Victor Wembanyama. Though Fox was still in Sacramento then, it's a reality he sees through the eyes of his teammates, both current and former.
“In the rebuilding stage, the young guys (Kings), I think, are playing well,” Fox said. “You want to be able to see that because, looking at where we were last year, the young guys are playing well.”
De'Aaron Fox contemplates the Spurs' rise
The former Kentucky star played with the Spurs for just a little more than a month last season and teamed with Wemby for only five games within that stretch. Two weeks after Fox arrived in San Antonio, Wembanyama was shut down for the remainder of the regular season because of blood clots in his right shoulder. Less than a month later, the team opted to shelve Fox, who'd been battling a lingering finger injury since training camp, for the rest of the year.
Through it all, the Spurs improved by 12 wins over the previous season.
“You get that experience, you get those reps, and then you come into the next season, try to hit the ground running from the jump,” the 28-year-old guard said.
At 19 points per game this season, Fox is second only to Wemby among the team's scoring leaders and earned a second trip to the All-Star game. Like with the Kings, he's proving a major factor in the Spurs' return to winning ways.
