The Sacramento Kings have emerged from a period of obscurity to become one of the NBA’s most promising teams, building their roster around stars like De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, and now DeMar DeRozan.
During the 2022-23 season, the Kings made their first playoff appearance since 2006, securing the third seed in the Western Conference and establishing themselves as serious contenders.
Despite their recent success, not everyone takes the Kings seriously. Former NBA player Nick Young shared a controversial opinion on the Gil’s Arena podcast with Gilbert Arenas, addressing Sacramento’s standout point guard De’Aaron Fox after news broke that he declined a contract extension.
“He’s not going to make an All-NBA team. People give De’Aaron Fox too little respect,” Young stated. “Honestly, I think he needs to leave Sacramento. He’s been there too long. To me, De’Aaron Fox should be considered a top-five point guard in the league, but he doesn’t get the recognition he deserves.”
While Young praises Fox, his comments come off as disingenuous as he disrespects the franchise that has contributed to Fox’s rise as a star. Young continues to undermine and belittle the Kings, stating, “People place everyone above De’Aaron Fox, and he gets overlooked every time. I think it’s just because it’s Sacramento. Once you go to Sacramento, you’re finished. It’s a graveyard.”
Despite being a zero-time All-Star, Young unjustly attacks the Sacramento franchise, ignoring the fact that Fox was named to the All-NBA Third Team just two years ago. In fact, Fox had an even better season last year than during his All-NBA and All-Star campaign, yet he was overlooked for these accolades.
While Young raises a valid point about Fox’s lack of recognition in All-NBA discussions, if Fox has another strong season and the Kings secure a playoff spot, playing in Sacramento shouldn’t hinder his chances for recognition.
This discussion stems from Fox needing an All-NBA selection this season to qualify for a supermax contract extension worth $ 345 million next offseason.
If Fox maintains his high performance from the past few seasons and the Kings rise to the top of the Western Conference, it will be difficult for voters to ignore Fox for an All-NBA nod, regardless of which city he represents.
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