The Sacramento Kings’ star guard De’Aaron Fox received official recognition for his clutch performances throughout the 2022-23 NBA season. Fox was named the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year, becoming the first player to win the newly-established Jerry West Trophy.
Fox received 91 first-place votes, finishing with a total of 460 points. Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler (104 points) and Chicago Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan (80 points) finished second and third, respectively.
Fox led the league with 194 total points and 5.0 points on average in clutch situations this season. He also shot 52.9% from the floor and made 86.0% of his free throws in the clutch. The league defines clutch time as a scoring margin within five points with five or fewer minutes left in the game.
“You can’t be afraid to fail,” Fox said after being unveiled as the Clutch Player of the Year. “Obviously, you’re not going to make every shot, but my teammates, my coaches, they put me in a position to succeed. So the least I can do is have confidence in myself to take good shots.”
De’Aaron Fox played his best regular season as a pro in 2022-23, averaging 25.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game. He earned his first All-Star appearance while helping the Kings reach the playoffs for the first time in almost 17 years.
