(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
In six seasons in the NBA, all of them with the Sacramento Kings, point guard De’Aaron Fox has been through quite a bit.
He was taken with the fifth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by an organization that has long been a laughingstock and hadn’t made the playoffs since 2006, and he has had to endure a revolving door of teammates, coaches, and even front office personnel.
But through it all, Fox kept fighting for his team, and this season has been his reward.
He made his first All-Star team, and now his Kings will finally be headed to the playoffs.
De’Aaron Fox was drafted by the Kings in 2017 and promised to fight for Sacramento.
He inherited the longest playoff drought in the NBA.
He was involved in trade rumors. Head coaches were fired. Front office was replaced. Players were shuffled.
Fox delivered on his promise. pic.twitter.com/VXfGkX7hBk
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 30, 2023
For the last few years, Fox had been one of the league’s rising young star point guards in a league that certainly doesn’t lack talent at that position, but he didn’t get as much love as some of his peers.
He has had his best season yet, as he has established career highs in overall shooting percentage (51.5 percent), 3-point shooting (33.4 percent), and free throw percentage (77.3 percent) while also averaging 25.2 points, which is tied for his career-best mark, and 6.1 assists per game.
Not only is his team going to participate in the playoffs, but they hold the third-best record in the Western Conference.
The seeds of what the Kings have done this season were planted last season.
They traded Tyrese Haliburton, who is an All-Star point guard in his own right, plus sharpshooter Buddy Hield and veteran big man Tristan Thompson to the Indiana Pacers for All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis, Justin Holiday and Jeremy Lamb.
It has given Sacramento a deep squad that is leading the NBA with 121 points per game and has the potential to remain a very competitive team for years to come.
The post De’Aaron Fox Is Being Rewarded For Staying Loyal appeared first on The Cold Wire.