Domantas Sabonis & De’Aaron Fox receive NBA MVP votes

May 2, 2023, 4:42 PM | Updated: 4:42 pm

Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings vie for NBA All-Star Game nods....

(Rocky Widner/Getty Images)

Sacramento Kings Beat Writer

After a memorable season that sent the Sacramento Kings to the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2006, Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox are receiving more national recognition for their impressive seasons.

Sacramento’s All-Star duo finished in the top thirteen of the NBA’s Most Valuable Player voting. Sabonis received 27 points to finish seventh, and Fox’s two points placed him 11th during the process.

Only one team had more than one player on the final board: the Kings.

Joel Embiid is the first player to win the Kia NBA MVP Award with the 76ers since Allen Iverson in the 2000-01 season.

Complete voting results ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/kko3o8tmxi

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 2, 2023

Sabonis had one of the best seasons from a center in the league’s lengthy history, averaging 19.1 points, 12.3 rebounds (led the NBA), and 7.3 assists (career-high) while shooting 61 percent from the field.

Only one other player in NBA history has averaged 19-12-7 while shooting 60 percent or higher from the field: Wilt Chamberlain.

The star center led the league in rebounds per game, total rebounds, and double-doubles (65) while also ranking top-five in win shares (12.6, second), offensive win shares (9.6, second), and assists (573, fifth).

Only two-time MVP Nikola Jokic (29) had more triple-doubles than Sabonis this season, as the Kings center finished the year with 14.

Fox, the first-ever Clutch Player of the Year winner, ended the season as the NBA’s leader in clutch points (194), field goals made (72), field goal percentage (53%), paint points (88), and usage rate (43%).

Scoring in the fourth was seemingly effortless for Fox, who finished just four points shy of Kyrie Irving (551) for the most points scored in the fourth quarter this season.

Fox–who was also first-time All-Star in 2022-23–finished the season with averages of 25.0 points, 4.2 rebounds (career-high), 6.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 51 percent from the field and 32 percent from three-point range.