De'Aaron Fox facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
De'Aaron Fox

Fox in 2024
No. 5 – Sacramento Kings
Point guard
Personal information
Born	(1997-12-20) December 20, 1997 (age 27) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
High school	Cypress Lakes (Katy, Texas)
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
College	Kentucky (2016–2017)
NBA Draft	2017 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5th overall
Selected by the Sacramento Kings
Pro career	2017–present
League	NBA
Career history
2017–present	Sacramento Kings
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Star (2023) All-NBA Third Team (2023) NBA Clutch Player of the Year (2023) NBA steals leader (2024) First-team All-SEC (2017) SEC All-Freshman Team (2017) SEC tournament MVP (2017) McDonald's All-American (2016)

De'Aaron Martez Fox (born December 20, 1997) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Sacramento Kings in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. The Kings chose him as the fifth overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft.

De'Aaron is known by his nickname "Swipa". In the 2023 season, he had a fantastic year. He was chosen for his first All-Star Game and made an All-NBA Team. He also led the league in steals and won the first-ever Clutch Player of the Year Award. He helped lead the Kings to the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

Early Life and High School

Fox at the 2016 McDonald's All-American Game

De'Aaron Fox grew up in Katy, Texas and went to Cypress Lakes High School. In his junior year, he averaged about 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists per game. During the summer, he played for Houston Hoops, a top youth basketball team.

As a senior, Fox's stats improved to about 32 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. In January 2016, he was named a McDonald's All-American. This means he was one of the best high school players in the country. He played in the 2016 McDonald's All-American Game in March. In April, he also played in the 2016 Jordan Brand Classic, where he was named a co-MVP.

Throughout high school, Fox led his team to the state playoffs three times. He even scored 50 points in a single game twice! Experts rated Fox as a "five-star recruit," meaning he was one of the top basketball players in his graduating class. He chose to play college basketball at the University of Kentucky. He said he felt like it was a "family" there.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
De'Aaron Fox PG	Katy, Texas	Cypress Lakes (TX)	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	160 lb (73 kg)	Nov 12, 2015
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 96
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 6   Rivals: 6  247Sports: 6  ESPN: 6
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources:

College Career at Kentucky

De'Aaron Fox played one year of college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats during the 2016–17 season. On November 28, 2016, he achieved a rare "triple-double" against Arizona State. This means he had double-digit numbers in three different stats: 14 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. He was only the second Kentucky player ever to do this!

Fox had many strong games throughout the season. He scored 27 points against Arkansas and 21 points against Mississippi State. In March 2017, he helped Kentucky win the SEC tournament. He scored 18 points in the final game against Arkansas and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP).

In the NCAA tournament, Fox continued to shine. He scored 39 points in a "Sweet 16" game against the UCLA Bruins, helping his team advance. However, Kentucky's season ended in the "Elite Eight" round with a close loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels.

After his freshman year, Fox decided to leave college early and enter the 2017 NBA draft. He said it was time for him to "live out [his] dream" of playing professional basketball.

Professional Career

Sacramento Kings (2017–present)

Fox (#5) watching teammate Marvin Bagley III take a free throw in March 2019.

Starting His NBA Journey (2017–2019)

On June 22, 2017, the Sacramento Kings chose De'Aaron Fox as the fifth player picked in the 2017 NBA draft. He officially signed with the Kings in July 2017. In his first NBA game on October 18, 2017, he scored 14 points.

Throughout his rookie season, Fox showed flashes of his talent. He scored a season-high 26 points against the San Antonio Spurs in January 2018. He also made a game-winning shot with just seconds left against the Miami Heat. Because of his strong play, he was chosen to play in the Rising Stars Challenge, a game for top young NBA players.

Fox made a huge jump in his second season (2018–2019). On November 1, 2018, he recorded his first career triple-double with 31 points, 10 rebounds, and 15 assists. This made him one of the youngest players ever to achieve a 30-point triple-double. He improved his scoring from 11.6 to 17.3 points per game and his assists from 4.4 to 7.3 per game. He was even nominated for the NBA Most Improved Player Award, finishing second.

Becoming a Star Player (2019–2022)

On July 31, 2020, Fox scored a career-high 39 points against the San Antonio Spurs. This was the Kings' first game after a break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2020, Fox signed a long-term contract with the Kings.

He continued to improve, earning the "Western Conference Player of the Week" award twice in early 2021. On March 26, 2021, he set a new career high with 44 points in a win against the Golden State Warriors. He tied that career high again on March 5, 2022, with 44 points against the Dallas Mavericks. A week later, he scored 41 points and had 11 assists against the Utah Jazz.

All-Star and Playoff Success (2022–present)

The 2022–23 season was a huge year for De'Aaron Fox. On November 5, 2022, he scored 37 points and hit a game-winning shot at the buzzer in overtime against the Orlando Magic. He was named Western Conference Player of the Week again in November.

In February 2023, Fox was chosen as an NBA All-Star for the first time in his career! He was picked as a reserve player. On February 24, he had an amazing game with 42 points, 12 assists, 5 rebounds, and 5 steals in a double-overtime win against the Los Angeles Clippers. This game was one of the highest-scoring games in NBA history.

Fox also hit another game-winning three-pointer against the Chicago Bulls in March. In the first game of the Kings' playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, Fox scored 38 points. This was one of the highest scores for a player in their playoff debut. On April 19, 2023, Fox won the first-ever NBA Clutch Player of the Year Award. This award goes to the player who performs best in important moments of close games. Even though he played great, the Kings lost the series to the Warriors in 7 games.

On November 17, 2023, Fox scored a season-high 43 points against the San Antonio Spurs. On December 2, he had a career-high 16 assists against the Denver Nuggets. On March 6, 2024, he tied his career high with 44 points in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

On November 15, 2024, De'Aaron Fox scored a career-high 60 points in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. This set a new record for the most points ever scored by a Sacramento Kings player in a single game. The very next day, he scored 49 points against the Utah Jazz. This meant he scored 109 points in just two days, a rare achievement in NBA history!

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

Play-in

Playoffs

College

Player Profile

De'Aaron Fox is 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall and weighs 185 pounds (84 kg). He mainly plays as a point guard, which is like the team's quarterback on the court. He is left-handed.

When he first joined the NBA, scouts were very impressed by his amazing quickness, speed, and athleticism. These skills make him one of the most exciting players when running a "fast break" (a quick attack after getting the ball) or driving to the basket. Fox himself once said he's "definitely the fastest person in the league" with the ball in his hands.

Fox is great at finishing shots near the basket. He uses his body control and jumping ability to make layups and draw fouls from defenders. His speed often allows him to get past defenders easily. While he's strong inside, he's not known as a top three-point shooter.

He is also a good passer, often getting around seven assists per game. He creates many of his assists by running the "pick and roll" (a common play where one player sets a screen for another) and on fast breaks.

On defense, Fox's smaller size can sometimes be a challenge against bigger guards. However, his incredible quickness and long nearly 6-foot 7-inch wingspan help him steal passes and quickly move to defend different players.

Personal Life

De'Aaron Fox was born to his parents, Aaron and Lorainne Harris-Fox. He has one brother named Quentin. Since he was young, people have called him "Fox," "Swipa," or "Swipa da Fox." This nickname comes from Swiper the Fox, a character from the TV show Dora the Explorer, and it also describes his skill at getting steals in basketball.

He chose the number zero for his jersey at Kentucky because he "fears no one." He gave his original number five to his teammate Malik Monk, who later became his teammate again on the Kings. His high school coach said that Fox would wake up early, around 6 AM, to practice basketball in the gym every morning. His father said that playing the NBA 2K video game series often helped him develop his skills.

Before the 2017 NBA draft, Fox signed a deal with Nike. He is also a big fan of the Dragon Ball Z anime series and says that Vegeta is his favorite character. In 2017, he even wore Dragon Ball Z-themed Nike shoes during a game.

In August 2022, Fox married Recee Caldwell in California. They welcomed their son, Reign Fox, on February 3, 2023.

See also

In Spanish: De'Aaron Fox para niños

• List of NBA single-game scoring leaders