“The players they had, everybody was in their prime,” said Fox, the fifth pick by the Sacramento Kings in 2017. “You saw how they played together. Everybody was unselfish and defended the ball well. They had a great showing.”

Atoning for bronze medals at the 2004 Olympics and 2006 world championships proved to be only half of the Redeem Team’s legacy. It also came to embody how national team participation could act as a springboard for NBA success. The top five 2009 MVP vote-getters — LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard and Chris Paul — were all Redeem Teamers.

Fox, who is expected to play a key role during the upcoming FIBA World Cup, is perfectly positioned to capitalize on USA Basketball’s star-boosting capability. The electric 6-foot-3 point guard possesses many of the required elements to become a max-level superstar: drive, charisma, leadership intangibles and an individual style that translates to team success. What Fox needs — and frankly deserves — is greater exposure.

Real constraints have left Fox as one of the NBA’s best-kept secrets. Look no further than his 2017 draft class for comparison points: Ex-Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball played in a much larger market, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum landed with a far more prestigious organization, and Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell already has logged plenty of postseason minutes.

Remarkably, the Kings are scheduled to make just one appearance on ESPN, ABC and TNT combined next season, even though Fox could be a leading candidate for the 2020 most improved player award and a dark horse to make the all-star team.

When casual fans weren’t watching the Kings last season, Fox was busy making his mark. He averaged 17.3 points and 7.3 assists, finished third in the voting for most improved player and ranked in the top 10 in both assists and steals. Sacramento won 39 games, its most since 2006, thanks to a fast-paced, Fox-led offense that improved from 29th to 15th in efficiency.

“He made a great jump from his first year to second year,” Tatum said. “We all expect him to make a bigger jump going into his third year.”

With John Wall injured and Russell Westbrook now 30, Fox’s peers began to crown him as the league’s fastest player.

“His quickness is crazy, and his end-to-end speed is ridiculous,” Celtics guard Kemba Walker said. “He’s fast but he’s under control, which is really hard to do. That’s the most impressive thing about it. He’s going to be an all-star in this league very soon.”

Indeed, Fox is overdue for a narrative update. Yes, he is fast. But he’s not only fast. His pure physical talent is now coupled with an improved feel for running an offense and a more reliable shooting stroke.

During a one-and-done season at Kentucky, Fox was a reluctant three-point shooter and hit just 25 percent of his attempts. After being tagged as a non-shooter during the pre-draft process, he was often dared to shoot as a rookie and still managed to hit just 31 percent. Fox improved to 37 percent last season, good enough to keep defenses honest and to generate better looks for his supporting cast.

“Lots of reps and getting stronger made it easier to shoot from distance,” Fox explained. “Having a year under my belt [helped, too]. Since I’ve adapted to the speed of the game, I’ve gotten better with my jump shot.”

Regarded by many of his peers as the NBA’s fastest player, Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox showed significant development as a shooter and a decision-maker during his second season. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

To overcome their market disadvantages and return to the postseason, the Kings are counting on Fox to be their long-awaited culture-changer. Yet Sacramento’s challenging environment is precisely why one rival executive stressed that Fox should benefit from his time with U.S. Coach Gregg Popovich and his staff.

The Kings have struggled with player development throughout their playoff drought, they were a below-average defense in both of Fox’s first two seasons, and Coach Dave Joerger was replaced by Luke Walton in April.

“[Fox] is a great player and great kid,” the executive said. “Structure, discipline and competition are exactly what he needs.”

Walton, who has direct ties to multiple members of the Redeem Team, appears to be on the same page. After winning titles with Bryant as a Lakers player and coaching James in L.A. last season, Walton knew exactly how he wanted his budding franchise player to spend this summer.