Domas, Kings explain why Fox's All-Star snub 'unbelievable' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
De'Aaron Fox's omission from the 2023 NBA All-Star Game roster is not sitting well with the Kings.
Speaking with The Sacramento Bee's Chris Biderman, Fox's teammates shared their thoughts on the 25-year-old's exclusion from the All-Star team.
"Yeah, that's crazy man," Malik Monk told Biderman. "S--t is unbelievable, especially with what he's been doing for us, coming through in the clutch, winning us these games.
"Him and [Domantas Sabonis] both, they're supposed to be in that game together, but it is what it is."
As it stands, Fox has been one of the most clutch players in the NBA this season, scoring 7.6 points per game in the fourth quarter.
Only Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kyrie Irving (9.3 a piece), LeBron James (8.8) and Steph Curry (7.9) average more points in the final 12 minutes than the Kings' star. Fox's 349 points scored in the fourth quarter are third-most behind James (369), Antetokounmpo and Irving (361 each).
Sabonis, the Kings' lone All-Star, said that it "sucks" that his teammate will be watching the festivities instead of partaking in them with the 26-year-old center.
"I don't know how much I want to say, but there definitely are players that (Fox) deserved it way more than," Sabonis told Biderman. "And we're not here today without him."
On the season, Fox is averaging 24.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game for the resurgent Kings. Led by Fox and Sabonis, Sacramento is third in the Western Conference (29-22), with impressive victories over the Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets and Brooklyn Nets.
"Quite frankly, for great players out there, it's not an easy thing to accomplish," Kings coach Mike Brown said before the Kings' 107-104 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Friday. "Disappointing, though, that Fox didn't make it from the standpoint of where we sit record wise, and then also what he's doing to help us win games with here he is in terms of clutch points, which is the most important time during any ball game."
Not only were Fox's teammates caught off guard that the guard was left out, but even Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards was more "surprised" of Fox being left out than his own snub.
"I didn't even watch it. I knew I wasn't going to get in. I was more surprised De'Aaron Fox didn't get in," Edwards told reporters Friday.
In addition to the bewilderment of the Kings and the Edwards, NBA Twitter was set ablaze after finding out Fox was left out by the coaches for an All-Star reserve spot.
RELATED: Ant more surprised by Fox's NBA All-Star snub than his own
Now, Fox's only chance to make the All-Star team is if NBA commissioner Adam Silver adds Fox as an injury replacement.
If that does not happen, Fox will have to wait until the 2023-24 NBA season to see if he will get an All-Star spot, which surely will irritate his teammates even further.
