Some Spurs fans are so distraught over the team’s collapse during Game 4 of the NBA Finals that they launched an online fundraiser to buy out the contract of guard De’Aaron Fox, whose late-game misstep helped cement the loss.
On Thursday, three separate GoFundMe campaigns appeared, all organized to buy out Fox’s 4-year, $229 million contract.
The fundraisers appeared after Fox, in the final seconds of Wednesday’s game, missed a layup when he could have dribbled down the clock or drawn a foul. That blunder capped a dismal night in which the Spurs blew a 29-point lead in the second half.
“Buy out De’Aaron Fox’s contract because he is absolutely terrible and cost the Spurs basically a chance to tie the series against the Knicks,” one of the GoFundMes states.
The Game 4 loss put the Spurs on the brink of elimination.
“There are a myriad of different reasons why the Spurs lost that game and why the Knicks had the chance to grab it by the throat,” ESPN radio host Chris Canty said following Wednesday’s floundering performance. “But, in that moment, when it comes down to effort, awareness, focus, things that are fully within your control as a player. For De’Aaron Fox not to exhibit any of that in the final minute of the game … is egregious.”
Another GoFundMe launched Friday is raising funds to buy Fox “a one-way ticket to China.”
“We need to fund a one-way ticket to Shanghai,” that fundraiser states. “The sharks are waiting. His 6-16 shooting performance and that final play have earned him a spot overseas.”
The proposal to send Fox to China stems from an ongoing NBA joke that players past their prime often end up playing overseas before retiring. One of the most popular destinations for aging former NBA players has long been the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association.
Indeed, Fox’s performance in the entire NBA Finals has been lackluster. He’s only shot 38% from the field, and he’s also committed turnovers during critical moments.
That said, Fox has also been dealing with a lingering ankle injury he suffered during the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Is Fox’s poor play his fault, or is it head coach Mitch Johnson’s fault for continuing to put in a player who’s still recovering from an injury? Depending on the outcome of Game 5, we may learn whom, if anyone, the franchise holds responsible.
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