Victor Wembanyama acknowledges De'Aaron Fox's special impact for the Spurs as a leader

Victor Wembanyama acknowledges De’Aaron Fox’s special impact for the Spurs as a leader originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The San Antonio Spurs‘ core group of players is filled with youngsters. Their superstar, Victor Wembanyama, is only 22, while Stephon Castle is 21 and Dylan Harper is 20. For such a young team, they are already in the NBA Finals, a massive accomplishment for such a young squad.

With that youth, the Spurs needed someone to stabilize the team, preferably in the point guard position. That is where De’Aaron Fox came in, as he has been the optimal floor general and locker room leader for this team.

Victor Wembanyama loves De’Aaron Fox’s impact as a leader

During his time with the Sacramento Kings, Fox had to grow up fast. It was a younger team for the most part, but they needed a star-level player to step up, and he was that player.

Unfortunately, a lengthy stint with the Kings only resulted in one postseason run during the 2023 NBA Playoffs under head coach Mike Brown, who is ironically on the other side of the 2026 NBA Finals with the New York Knicks now.

MORE: De’Aaron Fox speaks on how he and the Spurs help Victor Wembanyama when he struggles

Fox knew he had to leave the Kings to get some semblance of success in his career. That is why he opted for a trade to San Antonio, where he would be a respected leader among a younger group.

Now, they are in the NBA Finals playing against the Knicks. It is a quick turnaround for Fox, but he has played a massive role in this rise to the Finals. As his teammate, Wembanyama knows that Fox has a special impact on the team.

“It’s been great. I think it’s been saving us a lot of trouble over the course of the season. Sometimes he makes things very easy for us,” Wembanyama said ahead of Game 3 of the Finals.

“He’s the experienced guy that we’ve always been able to turn to when we need it, especially, I think it’s easy to forget that our guards are really young, and how precious he’s been for them.”

With players like Castle and Harper still developing amid clear talent, Fox has been invaluable. Moving forward, he will be the veteran they will need, especially in the crucial moments when Fox shines as a clutch player.

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