As the NBA All-Star game gets closer, more players are dropping out due to injury. This has opened the door for a former member of the Sacramento Kings, De'Aaron Fox, to play in the second All-Star game of his career. It's safe to say it would have been more had he not been on the Kings for so long.
There was a time in the not-too-distant past that the Kings had two of the best point guards in the league. They traded Tyrese Halliburton to get Domantas Sabonis, then moved De'Aaron Fox in the trade that brought Zach LaVine in. It was an embarrassment of riches Sacramento let fade away.
During his seven and a half seasons with the Kings, Fox was selected for the All-Star Game once and only once. It was during Sacramento's all-too-brief Beam Team Era. Both he and Domantas Sabonis were chosen that year, though it was Domas's third selection in a row.
Honestly, that wasn't a surprise for Sabonis. He was at the peak of his double-double machine prowess, or so people thought. His stats were even better in the next two seasons, though that apparently wasn't enough to get him the nod. It's the same reason Fox only got one nomination.
The Kings don't exactly have a good reputation around the league
De'Aaron Fox has always been a great point guard. The problem was that he played for a team that basically no one paid attention to, so getting an All-Star selection wasn't easy. Sabonis managed to overcome that due to having some showy stats that did get that kind of attention.
That's why Fox got his one All-Star selection during his long run with the Kings as part of the Beam Team Era. It was the only time when he was in Sacramento that he was undeniable. That certainly hasn't been the case in San Antonio. After one full season, he is already an All-Star again.
To be fair, it took a few injuries to get him there, but he still made the cut. The Spurs offer him a bigger stage as part of a well-constructed team that's loaded with some of the top players in the league. Fox is finally getting real recognition for the caliber of play he brings to the table.
Fans have seen the same impact on the Kings' rookies. In particular, Maxime Raynaud was not selected to be a Rising Star despite being one of the top rookies in the NBA. That's because of the Sacramento effect, which will only change if the Kings finally get their act together.