In 2018, JR Smith’s clock-management blunder in the NBA Finals became an instant basketball punchline. Eight years later, De’Aaron Fox may have created a modern version of that moment. After the Spurs guard’s controversial late-game decision helped fuel the largest comeback in NBA Finals history, criticism poured in from every corner of the basketball world. Less than 24 hours later, the conversation had spread beyond the NBA itself, with Indiana Fever broadcasters appearing to reference Fox’s mistake during a 114-106 overtime win over the Chicago Sky.

The timing had basketball fans cracking up. After all the criticism aimed at De’Aaron Fox for his late-game clock management, Fever star Aliyah Boston found herself in a similar end-game situation. As the final seconds ticked away, the broadcast team highlighted her decision to keep possession rather than force the action at the basket. The commentators immediately brought Fox’s name into the conversation.

Candace Parker: “Aliyah Boston electing to not take the layup and dribble the ball out.”

Michael Grady: “Making another reference to something that happened last night?”

The comparison stemmed from a late overtime possession with Indiana protecting an eight-point lead. Boston briefly had an open path toward the basket but instead pulled the ball out and let the remaining seconds disappear. Whether intentional or not, the sequence immediately drew comparisons to Fox’s decision the previous night, when San Antonio still controlled its own fate late in Game 4.

With 12 seconds remaining, the Spurs guard got possession after Jalen Brunson’s missed shot. The two-time All-Star attempted a layup instead of milking more time off the clock and allowing the opposition to foul him. OG Anunoby recorded a block. And after the Knicks’ timeout, Anunoby completed the comeback with a legendary tip-in with 1.2 ticks remaining. Fans online joked that Fox couldn’t even watch a WNBA game in peace without catching a stray shot.

The criticism surrounding Fox wasn’t limited to social media. Hall of Famer Magic Johnson wrote that Fox “made a huge mistake” by attacking the rim instead of dribbling out the clock, while Charles Barkley called it a “dumba** play” and argued the Spurs simply needed to force New York to foul. The consensus among former players and analysts was remarkably unified.

The criticism carried extra weight because late-game clock management mistakes tend to live far longer than ordinary turnovers or missed shots. From Chris Webber’s infamous timeout in the 1993 NCAA title game to JR Smith’s Finals blunder in 2018, basketball history has repeatedly shown that a single lapse in situational awareness can overshadow everything that came before it.

WNBA broadcast turns Fox’s mistake into basketball’s latest cautionary tale

The Spurs scored just 30 points after halftime. San Antonio led 76-49 at the break and by as many as 29 points before the offense completely unraveled. That larger collapse became part of the debate surrounding Fox’s decision, even as the WNBA broadcast brought renewed attention to the final possession.

BrickCenter, the X page with more than 230K followers, added, “WNBA commentators threw shade at De’Aaron Fox after Aliyah Boston did what Fox should’ve done😭.” Another fan added a similar comment, “They clowning De’Aaron Fox in the WNBA 😭.”

The reaction resonated because many fans viewed Boston’s possession as the textbook version of the situation Fox faced. With the shot clock off in Game 4, the Spurs could have forced the Knicks to foul and reduced the amount of time remaining. Instead, Fox attacked the basket, opening the door for OG Anunoby’s game-changing block.

Fox later defended the decision and maintained that he was trying to put the game away.

“We haven’t scored. I tried to get a layup to get up three. Force them to need a three. OG made a good block. I just thought I’d be able to outrun them. That’s it,” Fox said.

That explanation became a point of debate among fans. Some argued Fox was unfairly being blamed for a collapse that saw San Antonio score only 30 points after halftime, while others maintained the final possession would inevitably define the conversation.

A netizen reminded in the comments. “Lmaoo in dfox defense.. fever were already up 3.. He said he was tryna score to put them up 3.”

Fox’s critics pointed to more than just the final possession. The Spurs star committed all four of his turnovers in the final 17 minutes as San Antonio’s offense unraveled, helping transform what looked like a comfortable victory into one of the most dramatic collapses in Finals history. After watching Boston regain control under pressure, a fan commented, “It was that easy, De’Aaron.”

While another simply mocked the Spurs star, writing, “I thought Aliyah Boston was bout to pull a DeAaron Fox.”

Whether Fox’s decision was truly the defining mistake or merely the final chapter of a larger collapse will remain a matter of debate. What is undeniable is how quickly the play entered basketball’s wider conversation, becoming a talking point on a national WNBA broadcast less than a day after it happened.