The viral De’Aaron Fox GoFundMe that spread across social media after the San Antonio Spurs’ devastating NBA Finals collapse was not real, according to GoFundMe.

UPDATE: A GoFundMe spokesperson told Heavy: “We can confirm that fundraiser never existed on the GoFundMe platform.”

The clarification matters because the image was reposted widely on X, Instagram and Threads after the Spurs blew a 29-point lead in a 107-106 Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks. The screenshot claimed a fundraiser had been created to “buy out” Fox’s contract, with a goal of more than $55 million. It became part joke, part pile-on as Fox drew criticism for one of the defining late-game plays of the Finals.

GoFundMe also told Heavy it is watching for copycat efforts.

“GoFundMe is monitoring related fundraiser starts and will remove and refund any that have not been authorized by the recipient of the funds,” the spokesperson said.

That separates the viral screenshot from later copycats.

De’Aaron Fox Became the Face of the Spurs’ Game 4 Collapse

Fox did not lose Game 4 by himself. A team does not blow the largest lead in NBA Finals history because of one possession.

But Fox became the face of the collapse because of what happened in the final seconds.

With the Spurs up 106-105, Fox chased down a loose ball and attacked the basket instead of pulling the ball out and forcing the Knicks to foul. OG Anunoby recovered, blocked Fox’s layup attempt and then scored the game-winning tip-in on the other end with 1.2 seconds remaining.

Fox’s explanation afterward was simple.

“I just thought I’d be able to outrun him,” Fox said, according to CBS Sports’ Robby Kalland.

CBS Sports noted that Fox went 1-of-5 in the fourth quarter and had costly turnovers, while also pointing out that Victor Wembanyama struggled badly in the second half and that coach Mitch Johnson faced criticism for how the Spurs handled the collapse.

The NBA’s Last Two Minute Report did not give Spurs fans much relief on the Fox play. The league ruled Anunoby’s block a correct no-call, with the San Antonio Express-News reporting the NBA’s explanation that Anunoby dislodged the ball before incidental arm contact.

GoFundMe Refutation Changes the Story From Joke to Misinformation

The GoFundMe angle is easy to treat as a punchline, but the platform’s response changes the story.

The most widely shared screenshot was not evidence that a real fundraiser existed. It was a viral claim that attached itself to a real NBA Finals controversy.

That distinction is important for Fox, for Spurs fans and for anyone who saw the image without context. The social-media reaction made it appear as though fans had organized a real campaign to buy out Fox’s contract. GoFundMe says that specific fundraiser was never on its platform.

The real story is narrower — and stronger: Fox’s late-game mistake created enough anger that a fake image went viral, copycat efforts surfaced and GoFundMe had to monitor the situation.

It also shows how quickly Finals criticism can jump from basketball analysis to personal backlash. Fox’s postseason has already been under scrutiny, especially in when weighed in conjunction with his $221.7 million contract. 

That contract makes the fan frustration more combustible, but it does not make a fake fundraiser real.

Spurs Face Knicks in Game 5 With Fox Under the Microscope

The timing adds weight to the story because Fox does not have an offseason runway to escape the criticism. He has another game to play.

The Knicks lead the NBA Finals 3-1 and can win the championship in Game 5. Game 5 is  Saturday, June 13, with New York at San Antonio at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT. Game 6, if necessary, is scheduled for Tuesday, June 16, and Game 7, if necessary, is scheduled for Friday, June 19.

That gives Fox and the Spurs one immediate path to change the conversation: win.

For San Antonio, Game 5 is not just about extending the series. It is about showing that Game 4 did not break a young roster built around Wembanyama, Fox and a core that reached the Finals ahead of schedule. It is also about whether Fox can turn the harshest moment of his Spurs tenure into a response that keeps San Antonio alive.

The viral GoFundMe was not real. The pressure on Fox is.