In a move that came as a surprise to some, 6-time NBA All-Star DeMar DeRozan signed with the Sacramento Kings over the past weekend. Other teams were reportedly interested in his services, including bigger markets like Los Angeles and Miami, which caused eyebrows to be raised when he chose to head to California’s capital city.
NBA: Fox Responds To Trash Talk From Arenas
Chicago is the 3rd most populated city in the country and San Antonio is top 10 btw 😂😂 https://t.co/zz6HrDQWQl
— De’Aaron Fox (@swipathefox) July 9, 2024
One of the loudest detractors was Gilbert Arenas. The former NBA player hosts a podcast that has become known for its outlandish takes and sometimes controversial clips, and he addressed the DeRozan situation along with co-host Brandon Jennings earlier this week:
F_ck the Kings, bro…DeMar, don’t you like big cities, bro? You keep going to these weak-ass cities…Going down to hicksville, cows, stank, ugly city. They rank #1 in just people being ugly over there.
The quotes didn’t sit well with the fans in Sacramento. The Kings fan base is a passionate one, given that the basketball team is the only show in town and is the pride of the area when it comes to professional sports. There was an immediate backlash to Arenas’ comments on X/Twitter from the Northern California area, and even Kings’ star point guard De’Aaron Fox decided that a response was warranted.
Kings Will Try To Improve On Play-In Finish
DeMar DeRozan showing off his new Sacramento threads. pic.twitter.com/CD4QFLhSj4
— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) July 9, 2024
One of the main points that Arenas attempted to make was saying that DeRozan keeps picking small cities to play in. It is an interesting take, given that he is leaving Chicago, which is the 3rd most populated city in the United States. San Antonio, where DeRozan played previously, is in the top-10. Toronto, who drafted him, is the 4th most populous city in North America.
Fox decided to point out these facts in his tweet response.
DeRozan joins a Kings team that has made its way into the yearly playoff conversation, and Sacramento is hoping that his presence helps push them to the next level. 2023-24 was a bit of a disappointment for them, as they followed up their 3rd-seeded finish the year prior by qualifying for the Play-In Tournament. They defeated the Warriors in the first game, but had their season ended by the Pelicans two days later.
