De'Aaron Fox's contract extension with the Kings became official Wednesday, and Sacramento's social media team couldn't resist the opportunity to troll someone who doubted whether the star guard would remain in California's capital.
Jay Williams cast doubt upon whether Fox truly wanted to remain with the Kings during ESPN's broadcast of the 2020 NBA Draft last week, and the Kings turned to a well-known meme to tell him he was wrong.
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Why, yes, that is an NBA franchise using a supercut of former "Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction" host (and "Star Trek: The Next Generation" actor) Jonathan Frakes saying a scenario was fictitious. The scenario in question is Fox re-signing, not that a show which ran from 1997 through 2002 could've seen this kind of second life coming.
The Kings have lots of reasons to be happy. Although Sacramento didn't disclose the terms of the contract, Fox's extension reportedly is for five years and $163 million, which would be the richest deal in franchise history. The 22-year-old has gotten better in each of his three NBA seasons, averaging a career-high 21.1 points per game last season. With his commitment to Sacramento clear, the Kings can continue to build around Fox.
“De’Aaron is amongst the elite young guards in the league and I can’t say enough about how excited we are to have his talent, leadership and potential remain in Sacramento for years to come,” Kings general manager Monte McNair said in a statement Wednesday, announcing the contract.
“His speed and dynamic playmaking ability along with his aggressive defensive mindset are core to our team’s identity."
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The Kings will need Fox to continue his improvement next season after shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic left to sign with the Atlanta Hawks. Sacramento still has 3-point marksman Buddy Hield and 2020 first-round pick Tyrese Haliburton to play alongside the face of the franchise, but Fox will once again have to lead the way in the Kings' backcourt next season and beyond.
Williams and others doubted whether that would be the case, but the Kings didn't and they seem intent on reminding skeptics of that fact.