Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox says: ‘I don’t really care about being an All-Star’
The NBA will announce the reserves for the Feb. 18 All-Star game on Thursday and two prominent Sacramento Kings figure to be in the mix: De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, who were each named reserves last year.
However, Fox said before Wednesday’s against the Miami Heat he’s not all that interested in the league’s showcase of its top stars, which will take place in Indianapolis this year.
“I don’t really care about being an All-Star, plus Indiana’s cold,” Fox told The Sacramento Bee.
When asked to elaborate on his unique stance, Fox said, “I don’t really have an answer for that. I can’t control the way I feel about things.”
Fox entered Wednesday ninth in the NBA in scoring averaging at 27.5 points per game, a career-high, after being named All-NBA Third Team last season. He said he would rather spend the All-Star break in San Diego, where he often spends time during the offseason.
Mike Brown makes the case
Kings coach Mike Brown made his case for Fox and Sabonis before Wednesday’s game, discussing the value of his two stars who led Sacramento to its first playoff appearance in 16 years last spring.
“We feel our top two players, Sabonis and Foxy, are just as good as anybody,” Brown said. “They’re the main part of the engine that makes this thing go. I think as time goes on, the league is starting to feel it and see it, but we have to continue doing our part at a high level. That doesn’t mean just in the regular season. We’ve got to do it in the playoffs too.”
Sabonis is on a streak of 28 consecutive double-doubles. He is averaging 19.9 points, 13.0 rebounds and 7.9 assists. He leads the league in rebounding and ranks seventh in assists.
“I think you see their contributions from a statistical standpoint,” Kings forward Harrison Barnes said. “I think you see where we’re at as a team. Anybody who watches Kings basketball knows how important those guys are, especially when they’re playing well for us.
“To me, we’re not wherever we are in the West without those guys playing well.”
Crowded field
The field for All-Star nominations is crowded in the Western Conference. The league’s 30 coaches determine the reserve spots after the starters were selected by a combination of voting among fans, players and a media panel. Coaches will pick two guards, three front court players and two others who play any other at any position.
Fox and Sabonis are in the mix with players such as Kawhi Leonard, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, Devin Booker, Paul George, Rudy Gobert and others to fill out the West’s All-Star roster. Only seven players will make the cut as reserves.
This story was originally published January 31, 2024 at 4:50 PM.
