Kings launch NBA All-Star campaign for De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis. Here’s how to vote
The Kings launched an All-Star campaign for point guard De’Aaron Fox and center Domantas Sabonis on Tuesday as fan voting got underway.
Kings coach Mike Brown urged fans to vote for Fox and Sabonis following practice Tuesday as the Kings prepared to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday at Golden 1 Center.
Fans — who account for 50% of the total vote with players and media accounting for the other 50% — can vote once per day at Kings.com/vote or through the official NBA App. Reserves are selected by NBA head coaches. The All-Star Game will be played Feb. 19 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
“All-Star voting started today,” Brown said. “Kings fans around the world, yes, around the world, not just here in California or in Sacramento. Kings fans: Domas. Foxy. Vote every day, all day, any day, starting today. What’s today? Foxy’s birthday, Dec. 20. Please vote, vote, vote, vote, vote, vote, vote. Domas. Foxy. Let’s go now, baby. Get them in there. Let’s go.”
Fox, who turned 25 on Tuesday, is averaging 23.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists in his sixth season after coming out of Kentucky as the No. 5 pick in the 2017 NBA draft. He is shooting a career-high 49.7% from the field, 35.3% from 3-point range and a career-best 79.7% at the free-throw line.
Fox matched his season high with 37 points in Monday’s 125-119 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. He scored 26 points in the second half, including 17 in the fourth quarter, continuing his emergence as one of the league’s most elite clutch scorers.
Sabonis, 26, was a two-time All-Star with the Indiana Pacers. He is averaging 18.0 points, 12.1 rebounds and 6.4 assists in his first full season with the Kings. He ranks ninth among NBA centers in scoring, third in rebounding and second in assists.
Sabonis had 28 points, 23 rebounds and seven assists in the loss to Charlotte. It was his third 20-20-5 game of the season and his second in the past three games.
Sabonis produced his eighth consecutive double-double and his NBA-leading 21st of the season. Two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets is second with 20 followed by Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis (18), Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (18), Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (17) and Bucks forward Bobby Portis (17).
Brown strongly believes Sabonis should be an All-Star.
“No question about it — zero question,” Brown said. “If you don’t vote for him to be an All-Star, in my opinion, you don’t know basketball because what he’s doing, it’s almost on a historic level, and I’m not just talking about his ability to score or his ability to pass.
“He’s doing everything. He’s rebounding. He’s passing. He’s scoring. He’s creating mismatch problems for teams. Teams have to chase us a little bit when he’s on the floor, and that doesn’t show up in a box score if a team has to go back to certain guys just because Domas goes back on the floor.”
This story was originally published December 21, 2022 at 4:00 AM.
