Sacramento Kings star guard De’Aaron Fox said he has been playing the early part of this season with an injury to his shooting hand that likely includes ligament damage.
Fox told the Sacramento Bee late Saturday that he suffered a dislocated left pinkie finger during training camp and that the injury has not healed.
Although X-rays on the finger were negative, Fox told the Bee that his injury is “probably a ligament.” The 2023 All-Star has been playing this season with the pinkie and ring finger on his left hand taped together.
Fox disclosed the details about his injury to the Bee after Sacramento’s 131-128 overtime loss Saturday to the Raptors in Toronto. The 2023 All-Star told the paper that he plans to continue playing through the injury and added that it hasn’t gotten worse.
Fox did not score in overtime Saturday and missed all 11 of his 3-point attempts — including a potential game-tying shot with 2 seconds remaining — during the Kings’ loss, dropping his 3-point percentage to 26.8% through six games this season.
Fox, who shot 4-for-6 from 3-point range the previous night in a victory at Atlanta, told the Bee that he did not think his finger injury contributed to his poor shooting.
“I wouldn’t change anything (about my shot selection), especially the last one,” he told the paper. “I got an open look, and it didn’t come off right. … I can’t say (the injury) is the reason. I’ve had games where I’ve shot it well and I’ve had games where I haven’t. I just got to get used to it.”
Fox, 26, is averaging 23.5 points and 5.7 assists this season, his eighth with Sacramento. The Kings complete a four-game road trip Monday against the Heat before returning home Wednesday to host the Raptors.