De’Aaron Fox Shocks the NBA World by Winning Inaugural Clutch Player of the Year Award

Sacramento Kings star point guard De’Aaron Fox takes the FIRST-EVER NBA Clutch Player of the Year award after leading the way with 194 points

Sacramento Kings star point guard De’Aaron Fox has been named the winner of the first-ever NBA Clutch Player of the Year award.

Fox was announced Tuesday night as the inaugural winner of the new gong, as selected by a panel of 100 writers and broadcasters who cover the league.

Fox became Sacramento’s first individual winner of a major award since Tyreke Evans held off Stephen Curry for Rookie of the Year in 2010.

The Kings almost certainly won’t be waiting 13 years for their next one – it’ll be more like 24 hours, probably, with Mike Brown expected to be announced as the coach of the year when the NBA reveals those results on Wednesday.

The voting was a runaway; Fox, who led the league with 194 clutch points, got 91 of the possible 100 first-place votes. Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan and Miami’s Jimmy Butler were the other finalists.

De'Aaron Fox won the NBA's first-ever Clutch Player of the Year award for the 2022-23 season
Fox led the NBA with a total of 194 points in clutch situations down the stretch of games

DeRozan was second in the NBA with 159 clutch points this season, and Butler was third with 151.

Fox led the league in clutch-game scoring this season with 194 points in 39 such games; clutch games are defined as those where the margin between teams is five points or less at any point in the final 5:00. He actually shot better from the field in those moments (53 percent) than he did at all other times (51 percent).

He becomes the first recipient of The Jerry West Award; it was named for the player who earned the moniker of ‘Mr. Clutch’ during his career.

The NBA announced in December that it was adding the clutch award; like most other awards, it is voted on by the media panel, but unlike other awards the field of candidates is first narrowed down by polling of NBA coaches.

Fox was one of many major contributors to a resurgence in Sacramento this season.

The Kings – who currently lead defending champion Golden State 2-0 in a Western Conference first-round series – reached the postseason for the first time in 17 years.

Fox is averaging a team-best 31 points in those two playoff games so far. And at 48-34, this was Sacramento’s best regular season since going 50-32 in 2004-05.

The award was the second major individual one to be announced by the league this season.

Fox (left) looks to pass the ball after driving past Denver Nuggets center DeAndre Jordan

Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr. was announced Monday as the defensive player of the year.

Coach of the year – Brown, Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault or Boston’s Joe Mazzulla – will be announced Wednesday and Sixth Man of the Year – Boston’s Malcolm Brogdon, Milwaukee’s Bobby Portis Jr. or New York’s Immanuel Quickley – will be revealed Thursday.

The rest of the schedule for announcing other league awards, including MVP, most improved player and Rookie of the Year, has not yet been disclosed.

Related Posts

Heartwarming Moments: Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies Enjoys Quality Time with His Daughter Kaari

Ja Morant, a star for the Memphis Grizzlies, shares an extraordinary connection with his daughter. Following Wednesday’s team’s game, the official NBA Instagram posted a touching video that featured Morant’s 3-year-old daughter Kaari Jaidyn rushing into …

Read more

Warner Bros’ NBA Bid Faces Challenges as Charles Barkley Announces TNT Retirement After Next Season

Warner Bros. Discovery’s path to the internet is being obstructed by Charles Barkley. After years of co-hosting the famous TNT program “Inside the NBA,” the basketball veteran announced his retirement from announcing responsibilities late Friday night, …

Read more

Kyrie Irving Shares Heartwarming Moments with His Daughter on the Court: “My Biggest Motivation for Every Game”

The adorable moments of Azurie Elizabeth accompanying her father Kyrie Irving to NBA games The adorable moments of Azurie Elizabeth accompanying her father Kyrie Irving to NBA games The adorable moments of Azurie Elizabeth accompanying her father Kyrie …

Read more

Lakers’ Struggles Continue: Domantas Sabonis Outshines Anthony Davis Yet Again!

Domantas Sabonis has been one of the NBA’s most consistent players throughout his career, as evidenced by his 44th consecutive double-double against the Los Angeles Lakers, which was not the only streak he extended on Wednesday night. Sabonis increased …

Read more

Unexpected Win: Milwaukee Bucks Show Off Their Golf Skills in a Surprising Victory

In a remarkable display of skill and teamwork, the Golden State Warriors secured a resounding victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Led by the sensational performance of Steph Curry, the Warriors showcased their prowess on both ends of the court, delivering …

Read more

Liverpool FC Teams Up with LeBron for the Exciting Chapter 2 Collaboration

MONUMENTAL: Introducing Liverpool FC x LeBron: Chapter 2. Available now at https://bit.ly/LFC_LeBron

Read more

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *