De'Aaron Fox's Kings Legacy Praised by NBA Fans in 1st Game Back Since Trade to Spurs

De'Aaron Fox's return to Sacramento for the first time since being traded on Feb. 3 didn't go in his favor, as the Kings defeated the San Antonio Spurs 127-109 at Golden 1 Center.

Fox, who spent the first eight years of his career with the Kings, had a rough outing back in his old stomping grounds. He finished with 16 points on 6-of-17 shooting, eight assists and four rebounds in 33 minutes.

The Kings and their fans gave Fox a warm reception when his name was announced during pregame introductions.

Fox did start on a high note, scoring the first points of the game on a midrange jumper.

There were some early boos from those in attendance when Fox touched the ball in warmups, but the overall fan response was extremely positive for a player who helped revitalize basketball in Sacramento.

Fox is one of five players in Kings franchise history with at least 10,000 points. His 21.5 points per game with the Kings is the fifth-highest mark in franchise history.

The Spurs started the game well with a 26-20 lead at the end of the first quarter. Sacramento's offense steamrolled them the rest of the way with 107 points over the final three quarters.

All five Kings starters scored in double figures. Zach LaVine, who was acquired from the Chicago Bulls in the three-team deal that sent Fox to San Antonio, finished with a game-high 36 points.

Fox was the only player on the Spurs to score at least 15 points. He's still adjusting to his new surroundings and not playing alongside Victor Wembanyama. This was his seventh straight game scoring 20 points or fewer, his longest such streak since the 2022-23 season.

The Spurs will wrap up this brief two-game road trip on Sunday against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The Kings will travel to Intuit Dome for a matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.