Fox discusses social media parent drama with Kings, Bagley

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De'Aaron Fox, like many athletes, is having to figure out how to deal with family members who are active on social media and how it impacts everyday life with the Kings.

In a wide-ranging interview with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on the "All That Smoke" podcast, Fox discussed the current drama surrounding the Kings, which started with a trade demand from Marvin Bagley III’s father and garnered a response from De’Aaron Fox’s father. It's just another example of the nonsense that social media adds to an NBA franchise.

Just a warning, the language is far from PG.

“The parents think they’re just speaking, but they’re not realizing what they’re saying is going to go around the world and on every news station and get all kinds of coverage,” Barnes said.

Barnes does an excellent job of introducing a difficult topic, but he’s mistaken, at least partially in this situation.

This sentiment is spot on when it comes to Aaron Fox, De’Aaron’s father. While Aaron knows plenty about the behind-the-scenes back-and-forth that has transpired over the last three seasons in Sacramento, he probably didn’t know that his response would blow up the way it did.

For the most part, Aaron has stayed out of the fray, likely at the behest of his son. De’Aaron addressed how he handled the situation with his own family, after being thrust into an unwanted situation.

“I’m like, ‘what the f--k,’ now I’m about to be pulled into some s*** that I didn’t want to be involved in,” Fox said.

In response, Fox said he sent a text to his father and then to a group text thread that included his father, mother and brother.

“I’m like, yo, y’all can’t do this s--t, because regardless of anything y’all say, mother f-----s aren’t going to ask y’all, they gonna ask me about it,” Fox said. “I’m like, y’all have to start thinking about me before y’all put anything on the internet.”

Fox said his father probably didn’t think twice about putting his response on Twitter, not fully understanding the ramifications that would head his son’s way.

That isn’t the case with Marvin Bagley II. Bagley has long used social media platforms to be divisive.

During his son’s rookie season with the Kings, he wasn’t happy that Marvin III was coming off the bench. He routinely referred to then-Kings head coach Dave Joerger as “Coach Yogurt” on Instagram and Twitter. While harmless, it was still disrespectful.

He drew the ire of De’Aaron Fox in June of 2020, when according to a source, Bagley II posted a clip that was soon after removed, saying that Fox was freezing his son out of the Kings’ offense.

Fox responded to that situation by posting his own assessment of his teammate’s father’s.

“This [clown emoji] really tried throwing shots at me,” Fox wrote on a picture of Bagley II on Snapchat.

Will this situation blow over or is it something that the team is worried will damage the delicate balance within a locker room? Fox said it’s had no impact behind the scenes, despite the Kings’ current three-game losing streak.

“We said something about it, but like, nobody is worried about it, to be honest,” Fox said.

Bagley III avoided discussing the matter with the media when given an opportunity. Whether he has had conversations about this issue with his father is unknown.

Lastly, this is an interesting look into the Kings’ situation from a unique source.

RELATED: Fox rejects idea social media to blame for Kings' struggles

After a 14 year playing career including two stops in Sacramento, Barnes has created a platform where players feel comfortable going on and discussing issues like this in an unfiltered way. It’s raw, but also engaging.

Barnes also believes this is where social media and the NBA is heading.

“It’s a new age and I think this is going to become the norm,” Barnes said. “I’m glad you guys were able to put the fire out because you’ve got to be able to block the good and the bad out in that locker room.”

The Kings are in the midst of some off-court drama, but that’s nothing new. They begin a seven-game homestand Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls with an opportunity to quiet some of the noise.

Can winning cure all?

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