It’s not often a head coach from a team already eliminated from the playoffs steps into the middle of an NBA Finals series with advice. But that’s exactly what Detroit Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff did — and his message for De’Aaron Fox was as direct as it was human.
Fox, the San Antonio Spurs point guard, took heat after a crucial fourth-quarter mistake in Game 4 against the New York Knicks. With the Spurs up 104-103 and the shot clock off, Fox drove for a layup instead of running out the clock. Knicks forward OG Anunoby blocked the shot, grabbed the rebound, and New York turned it into a go-ahead put-back. Final: Knicks 105, Spurs 104. Now San Antonio faces a 3-1 hole.
When ESPN’s NBA Today asked Bickerstaff what he would tell Fox ahead of Game 5, the veteran coach didn’t hesitate. He leaned into something far bigger than X’s and O’s.
“We love you, and we need you,” Bickerstaff said. “We understand what his talents are, and how good he’s been as an All-Star before as a floor leader, as a floor general. So, all we need you to do is be who you are, and who you are is good enough. The outside noise doesn’t matter. The outside noise has no impact on the job that he has to do — what his teammates think of him, what his coaching staff thinks of him. You’re hoping for three more games.”
For Bickerstaff, the path forward isn’t about drilling Fox on clock management or scolding him for the blunder. It’s about making sure the Spurs guard knows the locker room still believes in him.
“How do we get the best out of him? By showing him love. By showing him support,” Bickerstaff added. “Obviously, helping him see the things that are going to be in front of him if there are adjustments and tactics you need to make, giving him the keys to those. Believe in him. Show him support because he’s earned it. He’s a heck of a player and a heck of a teammate.”
The advice stands in stark contrast to a resurfaced clip from Fox’s former coach, Mike Brown, now leading the Knicks. After a similar late-game miscue by Fox back in 2024, when both were with the Sacramento Kings, Brown was blunt in his criticism. In the clip, Brown pointed out that Fox had ignored a clear directive: don’t give up a three, stay connected, and definitely don’t close out hard and foul with seconds left. That criticism went viral again after Fox’s Game 4 lapse — and fans online noted Brown was fired the next day in 2024 after that exchange.
Now, Fox and the Spurs have to win three straight to take the title. Game 5 is Saturday in San Antonio. Bickerstaff’s message was clear: ignore the noise, trust the talent, and remember the team still has your back.
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