5 Beyond Wemby: Why De'Aaron Fox Not Under As Much Pressure As You Think

SAN ANTONIO — An hour after the final buzzer sounded on Game 5 of the NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center, crowning the New York Knicks NBA champions, De'Aaron Fox wandered the tunnels beneath the arena in street clothes. It had begun to sink in; his season was over.

Fox finished the evening with seven points, five assists and two steals on 3-for-15 shooting from the field, a performance far from his best in the biggest game of his career.

To add insult to injury, the San Antonio Spurs had been up by as many as 16 points in the third quarter. Like the four contests that preceded Game 5, that lead evaporated.

"These games have showed us that we have a chance," Fox said the day before, during what became his final media availability of the season. "It's not like we're going out there and getting steamrolled. We had the largest lead in all four games. We've lost those leads."

Only once was San Antonio able to recover a win over New York. Fox reached his season scoring average only twice. Naturally, the agony of defeat weighed on him. He let Brian Wright help him shoulder it for a few seconds as the pair embraced in the tunnel.

"The people that matter," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said during his pregame media availability ahead of Game 5. "We stick together through the highs and lows."

May 30, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) celebrates with guard De'Aaron Fox (4) after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals for the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Wright and Fox ended their hug and walked in separate directions, both already focusing on the work that lay ahead of them in the shortest offseason either of them had ever experienced. The few seconds they shared said more than any verbal vote of confidence.

Fox has been in San Antonio for 19 months. Entering his second full season with the franchise, he'll continue to be a cornerstone of its offense and its locker room.

"It's not even a question," Wembanyama said of trusting the point guard. "That's his identity. The trust is complete. We know (he's) as reliable as they get. He brings everything we need."

Fox's first full campaign offered evidence of both his importance and the room he still has to grow. Fox finished third on the Spurs in scoring at 18.6 points per game and second with 6.2 assists while tying for the team lead in steals. Three times during the regular season, he posted the best assist-to-turnover ratio on the roster.

When the playoffs rolled around, those numbers dipped, as Fox averaged fewer points and fewer assists on a lower shooting clip. He finished third-to-last on the team in field-goal percentage, second-to-last from beyond the arc and third in turnovers.

Dealing with a right ankle sprain from the Western Conference Finals onward affected his output, but even beyond the injury, Fox's teammates backed him up at every opportunity.

"Having the ball in his hands late is like a comfort thing for us," Stephon Castle said.

Jun 13, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox (4) shoots against the New York Knicks during Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Still, there were lessons to take from how it ended. San Antonio increasingly found other ways to initiate its offense as Castle and Harper assumed larger roles. Harper appeared three times among the Spurs' highest-rated two-man offensive combinations before Fox appeared once, which signaled a different kind of responsibility for the veteran.

The Spurs spent Fox's first full season learning how all of their pieces fit together, sometimes doing so on the fly as a young roster navigated expectations it hadn't faced before. By June, those growing pains were measured in squandered opportunities.

"It's a make-or-miss league a lot of times," Fox said. "A lot of times, (you) get to your spot. If you miss that shot, it is what it is. You try to make that shot more often than not."

A team as deep as the Spurs understands the importance of each of its pieces. Even on nights when Fox's shot wasn't falling, they had little reason to lose sight of the larger picture. He had played a crucial role in getting them to the NBA Finals in the first place.

"His ability to touch the paint against whoever," Castle said, "whether it's a layup for himself ... or finding kick-outs ... those are all big-time plays. I mean, the box score doesn't always show it. But the way he's affected our team all year is the reason why we're here."

San Antonio saw the extent of his impact on nights when he wasn't on the floor. Several times throughout the season, Castle gave up more frequent turnovers when acting as a primary ball handler in place of Fox. Other nights, lob opportunites went unanswered.

While Fox will be the first to take accountability for the other side of his highlight reel, he's entering his 10th season with the same confidence he had a season ago.

He's heard the noise, and while his social media purposefully depicts watches, cars and real estate instead of basketball content, he's spent the offseason working on his game as he prepares to help lead the Spurs to what he hopes is a second straight NBA Finals berth.

He's not facing as much pressure as you think. The Spurs as a whole have identified the areas in which they must improve in order to beat a team like the Knicks, or overcome the still-loaded Oklahoma City Thunder again. In that sense, they're all growing.

Fox just hopes the next time he embraces Wright at the end of a season, they're standing in the Spurs' locker room covered in champagne. Maybe that one lasts a little longer.

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