“I wore his shoes tonight”: De’Aaron Fox reveals inspiration for must-win game vs Steph Curry
De'Aaron Fox became the first NBA player to sign with Under Armour's Steph Curry shoe brand. On Tuesday night, he sported Curry's shoes when he and the Sacramento Kings went up against the four-time NBA champion and the Golden State Warriors in the play-in elimination matchup.
The Kings blew out the Warriors 118-94, knocking Curry and Co. out of the postseason. Sacramento next plays the New Orleans Pelicans, where a win will see them get the eighth seed and a first-round playoff date with the OKC Thunder.
Following the win, Fox spoke about how Curry's shoes were an inspiration for him ahead of the marquee matchup.
"I'm wearing (Steph Curry's) shoes tonight. ... With the way the season played out and the games we lost, we were like, 'Of course we run into Golden State.'"
Keegan Murray led the Kings with 32 points and nine rebounds. Domantas Sabonis helped himself to another double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
Fox ended his evening with 24 points, four rebounds and six assists. The Warriors didn't have any noteworthy performances except for Steph Curry's 22 points. The loss sees Golden State hit an early summer with the future of their 'Big 3, 'including Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, in question.
"I want to win": Steph Curry gets candid after Warriors playoffs hopes vanish with loss
After the loss, Steph Curry revealed how his only objective is winning and that he would want to do it as often as possible to maximize the team's chances of winning another title.
When asked about the future of Thompson and Green, he said all that matters is winning.
"I can never see myself not with those two guys. I understand this league changes, and there’s so many things that go into it. ... I know they want to win, and I want to win. That’s all I’m worried about."
With an early summer ringing in for the Warriors, it's interesting to see what route the franchise takes in the days to come.
Whether they decide to run it back with the 'Big 3' and add reinforcements by blowing up the young roster or hit a rebuild, only time will tell. For now, Curry and the Dubs have a lot to think about.