How De'Aaron Fox NBA All-Star nod was full-circle moment for Vivek Ranadive
Vivek broke All-Star news to Fox with heartwarming story originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé knew from the very beginning that De'Aaron Fox could be the guy to lead Sacramento back to the playoffs.
In an exclusive interview with Andscape's Marc Spears, Ranadivé recalled his first impressions of Fox leading up to the 2017 NBA Draft and the glowing review Fox received from University of Kentucky coach John Calipari. Once Sacramento got Fox in the building for a workout, he was put to the test with quite a unique drill.
"Early on, I got a call from Coach Cal and he said, ‘Hey, I got this kid and he’s the fastest kid that I’ve ever seen," Ranadivé recalled of his conversation with Calipari. " 'You should give him a try.’ I said, ‘OK, Coach.’
"So, then we have this kid come and try out for us. And Dave Joerger is our coach then. Great coach. So, I said, ‘You know what? Since Coach Calipari called me, I’m going to check this out myself.’ And I hadn’t really seen a tryout before, so I went and sat down."
"So, what [Joeger] did is he put three blindfolds on De’Aaron. And then he tried to [air] punch his face to make sure he couldn’t see anything. Then he started barking orders and saying, ‘Go there, go right, do this.’ So, he just executed like you would not believe, blindfolded. High speed, at Fox speed."
Fast forward to 2023 and Fox, who was named an All-Star for the first time this season, received the good news from none other than Ranadivé himself.
"And it’s kind of interesting because a few weeks ago, [NBA executive vice president] Joe Dumars called me up and he said, ‘Hey, I know you’re close to De’Aaron, and why don’t you call him and tell him he’s going to make the NBA All-Star Game. But you got to tell him at 9:30 [a.m.] because after that it goes public,'" Ranadivé said. "So, I texted De’Aaron and [his wife] Recee, and I said, ‘Hey, I need to talk to you at 9:30.’
"So, she said, ‘OK, call me and I’ll pass De’Aaron here.’ So, at 9:30 I call Recee. She patches De’Aaron. And while I’m on the phone, coach [Brown] calls. So, I patch coach in, and I say, ‘Hey, guys, I just wanted to tell you a story about De’Aaron.’"
Ranadivé told everyone on the call the story of Fox's initial workout with the Kings and revealed the daunting challenge he issued to the young point guard six years ago.
"So, I told the story about when coach Calipari called me, and this kid came in and did this try-out blindfolded," Ranadivé shared. "Then I said, 'Yeah, hey, De’Aaron, I built this brand-new arena here, and it’s like this [brand] spanking new Ferrari, but I don’t know who to give the keys to. Who’s going to take me to the promised land? Who’s going to take me to the top?’
"And he said, ‘Give it to me. Give me the keys.’ So, I said, ‘Kid, here’s the question I have for you." 'Do you have any plans this coming weekend?’ And he was like, ‘No, I don’t.’ And I said, ‘Well, OK, then I’ll see you and Recee in Salt Lake City.’
"So, I got to tell him that. So that’s how much he means to me. I’ve seen his journey from the day that he did his tryout with coach Joerger to the All-Star Game in Salt Lake City. And he’s got a superpower, right? He’s the fastest kid in the league."
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The moment was special for both Ranadivé and Fox, who have developed a close relationship.
After Sacramento clinched a playoff spot for the first time in 17 years and secured the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, Ranadivé's faith in Fox has paid off as the Kings appear ready to compete for a championship.
