De’Aaron Fox came to the San Antonio Spurs in February 2025, as many believed to be the missing piece of the team’s championship-contending nucleus alongside Victor Wembanyama and other young studs such as Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper.
While he remained the starting point guard of the Spurs, Fox noticeably took a step back, allowing the young star to flourish while he became a stabilizing force as the veteran of the bunch.
Fox said it was an obvious sacrifice for him for the betterment of the team as they look to punch through their ceiling, despite their age.
“Obviously, I’m not shooting the ball as much. But coming here, I knew that was the way it was going to be,” Fox, a former Sacramento Kings star, said in an interview with Spurs in Focus’ Jeff Garcia.
“As a player, you sacrifice for the betterment of the team. There are times where I need to take shots or times where I don’t take as many shots, but at the end of the day, you need to make the shots that you take.”
“Obviously, I’m not shooting the ball as much. But coming here, I knew that was the way it was going to be. As a player, you sacrifice for the betterment of the team. There are times where I need to take
De’Aaron Fox Has Never Been This Far In the Playoffs
GettyDe’Aaron Fox is playing in his first-ever NBA Finals. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
Fox attempted 14.5 shots per game during the regular season and throughout the playoffs so far, where the Spurs ruled the Western Conference after dethroning the defending champions OKC Thunder.
Fox averaged 15.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game this playoffs. It was a far contrast from his last time in the playoffs in 2022 with the Kings, where he averaged 27.4 points per game as the go-to guy of the squad.
Despite the limited touches with the Spurs, Fox has seen success that he has yet to witness before his move to San Antonio. Fox played a key role in helping the Spurs dispatch the Thunder, returning from an ankle injury in Game 3, and helping them stabilize their offense against OKC’s relentless defense.
Fox played his first-ever NBA Finals experience in Game 1 against the New York Knicks, only notching seven points in 38 minutes. He shot 3 of 13 from the field, including 0 of 4 from the 3-point line, and had four rebounds and five assists.
In that game, Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson stuck with Fox down the stretch, despite Harper having a superb game with 16 points in 28 minutes of action
Mitch Johnson Explains Decision To Choose De’Aaron Fox Over Dylan Harper in Game 1’s Endgame
GettyDe’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper are the top point guards of the San Antonio Spurs.
Mitch Johnson elected to play the veteran Fox over the rookie Harper late in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Spurs. It was a calculated risk that did not work out for the Spurs.
Here’s how Mitch Johnson explained it:
“There was definitely consideration. Dylan had a heck of a game and was playing very well, and that comes with when you have a lot of good players, those decisions,” Johnson said after Game 1.
“So Dylan did not finish the game by nothing that he did or did not do, and it was a decision I made. And I understand there would be logic in having Dylan in that group, but I thought that group that out was there did some things during the stretch, and that’s what I rolled with.”
Game 2 will certainly see some adjustments on the Spurs as they look to tie the series before they head to New York. Game 2 will happen on Friday night.
De’Aaron Fox Reveals Personal Sacrifice For Spurs Ahead of NBA Finals