Many consider former University of Kentucky point guard De’Aaron Fox to now be the up-and-coming face of the franchise for the Sacramento Kings.
As such, Fox will need to invest heavily into the Kings and work hard to provide the production Sacramento and its fans expect.
Fox is cut out for that job, but that does not mean he is leaving his Kentucky roots behind as he ventures for NBA stardom.
He’s back in Lexington for John Calipari’s UK Pro Youth Camp, which is one of Fox’s first opportunities to spend time with kids at a camp as a professional.
“Just being able to mentor some kids for a few hours — well today and tomorrow, we did something yesterday (in Louisville),” Fox said. “It’s just a blessing that I was able to be in this position.”
One of the highlights of Tuesday’s camp came when Fox hit a half-court shot to win a camper a pair of special Nike shoes.
However, attending camps isn’t the only thing Fox has done in his return to Kentucky, as he and other former Wildcats have gotten the chance to introduce themselves to the current UK team on campus.
“Me, Malik (Monk), Bam (Adebayo), we all played pickup with the guys on Saturday,” Fox said. “Quade (Green) played really well, PJ (Washington), Jarred (Vanderbilt), Jarred really shot the ball well. Nick (Richards) is really active on the boards, catches lobs, blocks shots, just what you expect him to do.”
Fox offered some advice to the new Wildcats on how to deal with Calipari.
“Be open-minded … if you do something right he’s going to tell you, he’s going to say something to you no matter what, you just got to be coachable,” Fox said. “Be ready to be yelled at — a lot.”
Chris Leach: 859-231-1326, @chrisleach250
This story was originally published August 01, 2017 5:43 PM.