De’Aaron Fox gets a “big” round of applause from Keldon Johnson

Because of everything that has happened since San Antonio Spurs traded for De’Aaron Foxit is hard to believe that he was with Silver and black in less than a year. But don’t count teammate Keldon Johnson among those who take the former All-Star for granted.

“Big players play big games, and you can’t deny that,” Johnson said after the Spurs’ last game, a 126-109 win against the Utah Jazz.

Fox scored a game-high 31 on 10/13 shooting with five rebounds and five assists. His six 3-pointers were a Spurs high in his relatively short time with the franchise. Since arriving in the Alamo City, the 2023 NBA All-Star has been content playing Robin to Victor Wembanyama’s Batman.

“He will never get the credit he deserves,” Johnson added. “He was phenomenal for us. He was a leader.”

Fox’s effort came as The Spurs were trying to shake off a rough outing two nights earlier when they blew a 16-point lead and lost a game to the Houston Rockets. Wasting a large lead against other Western contenders is a a reality that has bitten them in recent weeks.

“He’s been a big part of what we do. The team wouldn’t be the same without him,” Johnson continued. “So my hat’s off to him. Every day he comes. He has no (non)ego. He comes to work, he goes out there and gives us his all every night and that means the world to us.”

An inaugural NBA player in the ’23 Clutch, Fox hit several big shots in the fourth quarter for a team that is second in the Western Conference.

“He’s come up in so many big moments for us this season,” Johnson said of his Kentucky counterpart. “He’s done it at every level of basketball and he’s continuing to do it for us now when we need him the most. Without him (against the Jazz), it’s a whole different game.”

Spurs’ De’Aaron Fox reacts to the big play

True to that victory in Utah, Fox saved his best for the last shot four of five from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter as the Spurs pulled away.

“I just look good,” Fox said after the triumph.

“I mean, a lot of it is just the ability to stop, the momentum. Having that rhythm and having that confidence in us just stopping, I think it goes into making shots. A lot of those shots, I think they were all assisted.”

On a night where he was just two strikeouts short of his career high of eight, Fox continued to give credit elsewhere.

“I think as a team, the way we play, the way the guys take care of each other, I think that played a role and you want to be in position, be in the right spot and knock them down.”

Two weeks after arriving in February 2025, Fox saw Vembanjama’s year ended due to injury. Less than a month later, an arm problem shut down Fox. He then missed the start of this season with a hamstring injury.

All the while, Spurs surged towards the top of the table. It was a “big” move; one is not possible without the ‘big’ players.