Sacramento Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox confirmed on Tuesday that he’s been playing through a shoulder injury. As reported by the Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson, Fox says the injury is minor:
Fox described the injury as minor. He said he hasn’t had an MRI because “it was never serious enough for me to do that.”
— Jason Anderson (@JandersonSacBee) February 21, 2024
The injury has been apparent to anyone watching the Kings in games leading up to the All-Star break. Fox could regularly be seen grimacing and holding his arm between plays.
Really, the main reason we’re even bothering to cover this is that there are some Kings fans who have refused to accept the idea of Fox being hurt because it hadn’t been reported anywhere. It does raise questions as to why the Kings haven’t listed Fox on any injury reports, as it really isn’t hard to list a player as being Probable with a shoulder injury. I don’t know the full ins and outs of the NBA’s reporting rules, perhaps the team isn’t required to list it unless there’s a risk it impacts Fox’s ability to play. Nonetheless, Fox has been subject of criticism for his up and down play of late.
I see both sides of the argument. On the one hand, if a player chooses to play through the pain, then it’s on them and criticisms are fair for however they perform. On the other hand, I think it’s admirable when players play through nagging injuries and I’m willing to give players a bit of grace when it’s clear they’re playing through something.
Hopefully the time off during the All Star break gave Fox a chance to heal up for the stretch run to end the season.
Setting aside the discussion whether it’s admirable or not, why not do an MRI or other checkups?
I hope this was a well thought-out decision together with the medical staff, because if it is so obviously bothering him, I find it difficult to understand why you wouldn’t do a non-intrusive checkup of an MRI that only takes a few hours?
For full disclosure, I am not a medical expert but my wife has hypochondria.
Youngman!
Might have something to do with limiting exposure to unnecessary radiation. Especially since he is likely to have a higher exposure to radiation due to his profession and the likelihood of being scanned for injuries.
Aren’t you mistaken?
Or maybe there is radiation in MRI’s in the USA, as opposed to here in Europe?
You are correct. No radiation in MRI’s, anywhere.
He gets lots of radiation flying around too. And that explains not getting an X-Ray or CT, but why not an MRI. No radiation with an MRI.
Maybe he’s afraid that it might make an imprint?
Excellent.
I’d guess he doesn’t want to do the MRI because he doesn’t think it’s going to be beneficial or he doesn’t want to know what’s wrong because that could lead to missing time.
Maybe he is claustrophobic? My wife is an MRI tech and gets a lot of people with claustrophobia.
I had one. It takes some time, and it is loud and not particularly comfortable. I wouldn’t hesitate to go through it again if I had to, but like a proctology exam, I wouldn’t really want to do it unless I knew that I needed to.
Sure, it’s not pleasant and if I had some nagging injury I would probably try to avoid an MRI unless absolutely necessary but, and this is important, I am also not a professional athlete. If I have a calf strain taking 15% off my running pace, nobody cares. If De’Aaron Fox has a shoulder injury taking 15% off of his FT%, a whole lot of people care, starting with his coworkers at the Kings.
De’Aaron needs to go get that MRI just as a matter of responsibility
But he is still going to play, no matter what the mri shows. So getting it now isn’t going to change what the rest of the season looks like.
Get it after the season and address any issues that might come up on the report.
I disagree. If an MRI showed a serious and possibly detrimental injury the team may require him to sit. He’s an invest to them.
My thinking is that they looked at shoulder and assessed it to be not a major issue.
Can they require him to get an mri? If so, then I think they would.
I 100% agree that the team has assessed him and has determined the course of action.
As to “require.” I don’t know but it would make sense. If a player refuses treatment that a team requests then injures himself beyond repair to that area, should a team be required to fulfill payment of his contract?
The idea of it for me kind of goes back the moped accident by Monta Ellis. If a team can bar a player from riding a moped in their contract, couldn’t they require needed medical treatment?
Seems almost certain.
His body will tell him if/when he gets to that point. No professional athlete needs to get any medical procedure done to appease the fan base, and I honestly think that is what is going on here. He has not been playing at his absolute best, but he has still been among the best 30-40 players in the league.
The Kings employ an entire medical staff. I have confidence in that staff and Fox himself over sideline hand-wringing.
Sorry, but no. This has been going on for like two months – he needs to take steps to figure out exactly what is going on with his body. If it was something that shook off after a week or two, fine, but lingering injuries really should be investigated especially if the investigation is just spending a couple hours getting an MRI.
He’s still a top 30-40 player in the league for sure but I swear I’m not seeing things with his inability to square up properly on FTs and his general posture in between play. Dude is hurt and every bit of information that can help treat that and understand it even if he plays through it would be helpful. An MRI just seems like such an easy step if someone is hurt for more than a week.
I have had 3 MRIs. 2 for my knee, 1 for my back. I rather enjoyed the experience, almost fell asleep…But I am weird as I fell asleep during a crown and a root canal (I don’t have a sleeping condition, btw).
My guess is the mri wouldn’t matter for him because he is going to play through the injury anyway.
Wow! You’re one in a million. I’ve had a several MRI’s and root canals and hated every one of them.
I’ve had probably 15 MRIs, five major shoulder injuries and a handful of concussions. The upper body MRIs are no joke. I was hit by a car once on my bike and lost three ligaments in my shoulder. I did get two new bathrooms and hardwood floors out of the settlement though. 🙂 I also snapped my clavicle in half, the cyclist injury.
I’m guessing he has a slight separation and doesn’t give a fuck since he would play through it anyway.
Sometimes those shoulder injuries can make it hard to lay down at night. He has been grumpy, no?
I would hope that the training staff and team would insist on an MRI if felt it was warranted. These franchises have too much money tied up in these players to blow off proper medical treatment.
I’d also imagine that teams have protocols built into their contracts with players to get proper medical treatment. If a player refused team medical recommendations, couldn’t it be against contract?
Hypochondriac’s epitaph: “I told you I was sick, you bastard!”
Reading this comment chain, I didn’t realize so many King’s fans are doctors 🙂
Thumbed up for use of the word hypochondria.
Yeah, how do you not get an MRI. I understand if you don’t want radiation from an X-Ray or CT, but how do you not get an MRI if you’re an NBA player with a nagging shoulder injury?
I see both sides of the argument. On the one hand, if a player chooses to play through the pain, then it’s on them and criticisms are fair for however they perform. On the other hand, I think it’s admirable when players play through nagging injuries and I’m willing to give players a bit of grace when it’s clear they’re playing through something.
The issue is whether or not his injury is the cause of the up and down season. A lot of players are playing through minor injuries that don’t need an MRI than don’t have up and down energy seasons (a trait Fox has shown before – see 2022 season where he was a negative player and had questionable value at the time of the Hali trade). Domas received a pretty substantial hand injury last year, anyone question his effort? How many players have injuries that aren’t substantial? and why would it affect his season off and on?
If this injury has demonstrably affected Fox’s season its pretty unusual that both he and the team wouldnt have acknowledge it til now. And Fox regularly said he was fine when asked.
I’ll try to cut him some leeway as a fan, but I’m still leery. Hopefully we see a more consistent Fox
I spent the weekend pulling up old flooring and carpeting, and I feel like someone beat the ever living crap out of me with 2x4s. I can’t fathom what these guys go through, and how even a pedestrian injury can cost you when you are competing with the world’s best. I mean, Sabonis playing through that thumb last years was bananas. Hat tip to Fox for continuing to suit up at less than 100%. I know that it comes with the job and pay, but I still find it admirable.
Heck, I stub my toe and I feel like I have to take the next day off from work. 😉
Marvin Bagley III he ain’t.
But you’re not 25 with a world class training staff to tend to you either. I know, four yard bins of leaves and I’m gonna feel it that night. And that with using a blower to get them in piles.
I have heard quite a few athletes talk about the difference of not playing when you are hurt vs not playing when you are injured.
Maybe Fox just wants to play hurt – can’t call it an injury if you don’t seek a diagnosis!
I had a pinched ulnar nerve in my elbow throughout high school, still pitched and was effective. Wasn’t until college when I couldn’t throw because of the pain that I had it repaired. These guys knowbtheir bodies, same with medical staff. I will leave it up to them to make decisions.
Agree.
I’d imagine the numbers of players in the NBA who aren’t playing through a minor unreported injury is shockingly low. These guys go full tilt most days and are guaranteed to be filled with bumps, bruises, and strains.
I’ve always been impressed by Fox and I continue to be. Really really glad him and Domas got a break to heal instead of participate in the shoot around party that is the All Star game now. Keegan is a terminator and doesn’t need to rest or consume oxygen.
I’m not in love with this.
Yes, I do understand that it is part and parcel for professional athletes to have to push through pain. There are bumps and bruises and scratches aplenty, so at some point you have to still do the job if it’s not a serious matter…
But this shoulder issue has lingered for some time now. It’s not going away. Oh, sure, Fox is saying it’s minor, that he can play through it, but I’m questioning if he’s playing through it comfortably. The Fox of early season was a sub-MVP candidate, behind only the Giannis/Jokic/Embiid forces of basketball. That’s fallen apart quite a bit, to the point I’m not too mad with his all-star snub. Why not at least get a closer look at it? If it comes back clean, you put this to rest. If not, well, everyone knows the situation and a better plan could be made.
I know we can’t really afford to as we are basically in the stretch run of the season, but it may not be a bad idea to give Fox additional rest if the team doc’s think it will help for the rest of the season and playoffs. We aren’t getting anywhere with a gimpy Fox anyways.
Times like these are when it would be nice to have a solid backup PG for once (sorry Davion).
Maybe the plan is to address it in the off season? In any case it’s his and the team’s business.
As for Fox – he probably injured it shouldering the weight of fan expectations and demands. Good thing he is left handed.
Let’s share the blame with the 65 game rule.
I definitely give Fox a lot of credit. The public is not entitled to know everything about the players. They have the right to keep some info to themselves. If he’d disclosed anything earlier, some people would say he is a whiner or making excuses. I appreciate him “manning up” and playing thru it. Kings lose a few more games without him. Denver, especially. If it was serious, I’d certainly want him to take the proper treatments and time off to heal.
Well, that settles it. I’m sure the game threads will be level-headed and not full of wild overreactions about Fox’s ability from now on.
Will an MRI get Fox to play defense?
Out of line question in this chat full of medical experts and NBA trainers. I didn’t bruise my left intesticular bulbous gland in junior high pick up basketball so I am not as qualified as everyone else here recommending medical exams and treatments. Out of line I know….
I have watched third graders play defense in rec basketball games though.
He made need an MRI if its affecting his season
So people sharing their experiences and thoughts is not allowed? If that’s the case, then nobody on here can say anything about the NBA game because none of us have played NBA.
Forum is closed, time to move on everyone.
Fox said he has a sore shoulder that he can play through. He is a professional athlete playing a very physical game.
Everyone who has had an ouchy now uses their expert opinion to argue medical treatments and diagnosis.
I choose to look at reality. Fox says he is good to go. The NBA trainers on the team have not shut him down. Realistically speaking as a fan I know nothing about his body or his soreness.
As a fan I do know that he needs to play defense in order to take this team to the next level.
So Ham says Domas is expected to miss tonight’s game with an illness
I just saw that he was upgraded to Questionable. Hopefully he is able to play. Need this win tonight.
yeah, need to get some good momentum going down the stretch and it’d be best if they did from the jump, it allows for more variance since you never know how this team is gonna play
Probably sent him through an MRI to get rid of his symptoms!
Runny nose….MRI
MRI = Miraculously Removes Injuries
Are you a doctor or NBA medical staff???
What standard of medical excellence have you set for yourself?
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