Mike Brown Appears to Call Out De'Aaron Fox for Kings Incredible Implosion vs. Pistons

Sacramento led by as many as 19 points during their loss to the Pistons.

Brown and Fox strategize during a Kings game | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Kings lost in almost unbelievable fashion on Thursday night, surrendering a four-point play—and a late lead—to Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey after he was fouled while attempting a three-pointer from the corner to tie the game. A made free throw put the Pistons ahead for the first time since the first quarter.

It gave the Kings just three seconds to play with and no timeouts, leading to a half-court heave that wouldn't find the bottom of the net.

Sacramento coach Mike Brown gave a scathing review of his unit on the floor to end the game, suggesting that the instruction was for the Kings to foul on the floor if possible. "They dribbled for eight seconds and we didn't foul them," Brown said.

Mike Browns full press conference, calling out his players, with some direct and indirect references to De'Aaron Fox, for not executing what they know to do and what the coaches are telling them. pic.twitter.com/aOHsOUgw96

— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) December 27, 2024

"If you're up three, you've got to guard your man at the three-point line. There should be no close-out opportunity. We told them, they know the only thing that can hurt us is a three," Brown continued. De'Aaron Fox was the player with egg on his face, caught ball watching and forced to leap into Ivey, causing the foul.

"I need to go back and watch the film and see exactly where Fox was but there was no reason for there to be a hard closeout. We were O.K. with them scoring a two at the rim, so you should not be in position to help at all. You should be hogged up to your man at the three-point line, everybody should."

Brown continued to hedge protections for his star player saying he, "didn't know," why Fox wasn't defending Ivey on the arc, emphasizing he needed to watch the film to gain an understanding. But his relay of the strategy made it pretty black and white: There wasn't a reason for Fox to have to close out in the first place.

Fox took a wider view, blaming the outcome of the entire fourth quarter, where the Kings gave up 37 points, not just the final play.

Fox is a massively popular former All-Star to float out in trade speculation with the deadline coming up in February. These comments, seemingly indicating an all-out ignoring of the coaching strategy, certainly won't do much to stabilize that.

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