Inside The Spurs

NBA Fans React to Devastating De'Aaron Fox News

San Antonio Spurs star De'Aaron Fox is set to miss the remainder of the season to repair ligament damage in his left pinkie

Matt Guzman

Mar 7, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox (4) high fives team mates after coming out of the game during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center.
Mar 7, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox (4) high fives team mates after coming out of the game during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. / Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
In this story:

If there was any hope for a potential run at the Western Conference Play-In Tournament for the San Antonio Spurs, it was dashed Thursday afternoon.

After sustaining ligament damage in his left fifth finger during training camp in October while still with the Sacramento Kings, De'Aaron Fox settled on taping his latter two fingers on his left hand together during games.

The reason? Fox kept it simple.

"If you throw me the ball, the first thing it's going to hit is the finger."

Fox admitted that at "some point" he would sit down with the Spurs and figure out the best course of action to repair the damage. That materialized into a surgery in Los Angeles while San Antonio plays the Lakers in a makeup game postponed from January due to the Los Angeles wildfires.

The surgery is scheduled for Tuesday, March 18.

While the news was expected, especially given Victor Wembanyama's season-ending injury and Gregg Popovich's pledge to sit out for the remainder of the year, it still made waves in NBA fan circles.

"Another tough loss for the Spurs," one fan wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

"Shutting him down. Smart move," another said.

"I swear," one more began, "if the Spurs somehow get Cooper Flagg, I’ll cry."

Without Wembanyama and Fox, the Spurs' chances of falling back into the lottery are on the rise. Pair that with another first-rounder from the Hawks, and their 2025 Draft Board is looking up.

Fox's injury is another blow for San Antonio. But also another chip of optimism when looking forward to next season and beyond.

Related Articles

Ever the Captain, Chris Paul Ushers In San Antonio Spurs' New Reality

How Spurs' Stephon Castle Proved De'Aaron Fox Right

Could Spurs Make Offseason Trade for Kevin Durant?

Published
Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

Home/News