Kings' De'Aaron Fox Rebuffs Reports of Issues With Mike Brown in NSFW Statement
Now that they've fired head coach Mike Brown, everybody wants to know what's up with the Sacramento Kings. And as to be expected after any sort of shock decision or replacement, the chatter is plentiful.
One particular focus of the noise around the team has been Kings star De'Aaron Fox, who is said to have met with the front office earlier in December (reportedly about his future with the organization) and also seemed fairly matter-of-fact about things when Brown was dismissed. Unsurprisingly, insiders and fans have been using these plot points to fuel speculation that the 27-year-old had something to do with his coach's ouster.
Well, Fox has decided to shut some of those rumors down. "There was never any pushback about anything," he wrote on social media on Monday. "This narrative of us butting heads or me going to management saying anything is bulls--. So you can run with that if you want to."
Fox was responding to comments from former guard Lou Williams, who said on FanDuel TV's Run It Back that "there was just some pushback from how De'Aaron Fox was continuously being singled out." Williams highlighted this as one of multiple "severe missteps" that put the Kings "front office in a position where they had to side with either the all-star talent they had or depart ways with their former coach of the year who had a brand-new three-year extension."
After Fox fired back, Williams replied in defense of his comments, too.
"I never said you went to management, my brother," he wrote. "I spoke on what was already being reported and said. I ain't created no narratives. That ain't my place. Nothing more nothing less."
Given the palace intrigue with a situation like this, it's not shocking that there are competing narratives on the matter. But in any event, the Kings will need to get control of the chatter and corral their locker room if they actually want to turn their 13–19 season around.