Kings: De'Aaron Fox Named First-Ever Clutch Player of the Year

(Photo : Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - De'Aaron Fox (#5) of the Sacramento Kings shoots over Gary Payton II (#8) of the Golden State Warriors during Game Two of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs at Golden 1 Center on April 17, 2023 in Sacramento, California.

De'Aaron Fox, a first-time All-Star this season, bags another first in his growing NBA resume. He made history by being the first-ever NBA Clutch Player of the Year Award winner.

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A Flurry of Firsts for De'Aaron Fox

With the win, Fox takes home yet another first - the first edition of the Jerry West Trophy, aptly named after the Lakers legend nicknamed Mr. Clutch.

It was a near-unanimous win for the fifth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Out of the 100 possible media votes, Fox received 91 first-place ballots. He led the NBA in total clutch points with 194.

Fellow finalists DeMar DeRozan and Jimmy Butler come in at distant 159 and 151 points, respectively. Both are bigtime fourth quarter behemoths, the former often referred to as "The King in the Fourth." Yet the 25-year-old leader of the Sacramento Kings is the one who prevailed.

Fox also led the league with 103 points in the final three minutes, with team scores within three points, again edging DeRozan's 82 and Butler's 71. He hit three game-winning shots in the regular season, one of which was an unassisted buzzer-beater against the Orlando Magic on November 5. His 1.21 points per clutch minute ranked 8th in NBA history.

He averages 5 clutch points per game at a 52.9 clip from the field and 31.8 percent from the outside. Fox also averages 31 points in the Sacramento Kings' first playoff series in 16 years. They lead the Golden State Warriors 2-0.

It was also the first major individual award a Sacramento Kings player received since Tyreke Evans bagged the Rookie of the Year plum in 2010.

Clutch situations are generally viewed as moments in a game where the outcome is in doubt and where the player's performance is critical to the team's success, such as game-winning shots or decisive plays in the closing moments of a game. According to the NBA, "clutch time" is defined as the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime when the score is within five points.

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