When Domantas Sabonis first arrived in Sacramento in February, his new teammate De’Aaron Fox excitedly told reporters that the big man’s playing style is ‘like an ox.’
And Kings fans ran with it.
T-shirts, pregame introductions and social media enthusiastically embraced the 916’s new duo, complete with a catchy nickname: The Fox and The Ox. Like any perfect moniker, the rhyme rolls off the tongue and features two animals that personify their basketball-playing namesakes to a tee.
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But how do Sabonis and Fox feel about the nickname?
During an interview with NBC Sports California’s Kayte Christensen on “Beyond the Paint,” Fox jokingly apologized for starting the craze.
“I apologize for that,” Fox laughed. “... I said it in an interview, right. I said, ‘He’s like an ox,’ like how strong [Sabonis] is, and boom, it was gone.”
“Then it blew up and went everywhere -- t-shirts, pregame, everything,” Sabonis chimed in.
NBA
Sacramento sent Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson to the Indiana Pacers for Sabonis, Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and a second-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft -- a deadline deal that sent shockwaves throughout the Kings’ fan base and the league as a whole.
But Sacramento’s point guard and new All-Star power forward gave Kings fans plenty to root for from Feb. 9 through the end of the season thanks to their performance on the court and their catchy nickname.
The popular t-shirts emblazoned with a half-fox, half-ox face and topped with a crown fit for a King are a must-have item for not only fans of the players, but their loved ones as well. Fox revealed one member of his family who is all about The Fox and The Ox -- his fiancée -- and it seems like The Fox and The Ox like them, too.
“Recee [Caldwell] bought like three shirts,” he said.
“I need some of those shirts,” Sabonis added.
Christensen joked that Fox should wear one of the popular t-shirts under his suit during his August wedding.
“That’s not going to happen,” he laughed.
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While The Fox and The Ox tees likely won’t make an appearance during Fox’s wedding, Sabonis made it clear that he and his new(ish) teammate are more than okay with the nickname.
At the end of the day, it’s about making sure the people who support the team are having a good time.
“Whatever the fans want,” Sabonis said. “It's more fun for them.”