De'Aaron Fox emphatically shuts down rumors of rift with Mike Brown

De'Aaron Fox is giving 'to hell with your narratives' vibes amid the speculation and outside noise regarding what led to Mike Brown's dismissal.

The word traveling around is that Fox and Brown had a strenuous working relationship. So, to appease their franchise centerpiece, the Sacramento Kings relieved the latter of his duties as head coach. Nonetheless, the former recently took to social media to break the ice and conclusively end the chatter.

Subscribe to The Whiteboard, FanSided’s daily email newsletter on everything basketball. If you like The Whiteboard, share it with a friend! If you don’t like The Whiteboard, share it with an enemy.

De'Aaron Fox emphatically shuts down rumors of rift with Mike Brown

NBA veteran and co-host of FanDuel TV's Run It Back, Lou Williams, spoke on air about the Brown firing. A viral clip of his comments has circulated on X (formerly known as Twitter), which Fox ostensibly wasn't thrilled to see.

Contrarily to Williams' comments, Fox insists there was "never any pushback about anything" before Brown's abrupt departure. Moreover, the All-Star floor general declares any reported beef or confrontations with the front office"[BS]."

" ... you can run with that if you want to," Fox added concerning the alleged friction between Sacramento's standout point guard and Brown.

As things unravel in Sacramento, it's Fox's word against everyone else's. Williams and many other respected media members have cited internal tension under Brown's guidance. Yet, the 27-year-old's reply starkly contrasts everything the three-time Sixth Man of the Year winner and company have said.

Fox hasn't formally requested a trade, but he's planted the seeds for his eventual departure. The 2017 fifth overall pick has vocalized a desire to 'compete at a high level' and wants to see Sacramento take action to enable this.

In addition to Fox's public discourse, his representation has met with the Kings brass. The two sides talked about the next steps for Sacramento to improve and work toward contention, eerily foreshadowing a potential split.

Signed through 2026, Fox notably rejected a three-year, $165 million contract extension offer last offseason. "Swipa" is eligible for an absurd five-year, $345 million supermax deal next summer if he earns All-NBA honors this season. But his hesitancy to commit to the Kings has raised questions, which Brown's axing only accentuated.