SUMMARY
- DeMarcus Cousins has played with seven franchises in the NBA.
- Cousins recently addressed the fact that he has come to terms with putting a career in the NBA aside for good.
DeMarcus Cousins was one of the best centers in the league during the mid-2010s. The ex-NBA player was incredibly hard to compete against as he was extremely tall and on the heavier side. Cousins showed a lot of skill on the court including characteristics of a guard. He could shoot, dribble, create space, defend, and score at a high level. According to the vast majority, he was the perfect concoction of a modern-day and traditional center.
Cousins entered the league in 2010 as the 5th overall pick in the NBA Draft. He was brought into the league by the Sacramento Kings. The 5x NBA All-Star proceeded to set franchise records and career milestones before getting traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in 2016. His stint at NOLA was when Cousins was in his prime. Unfortunately, he was never the same after rupturing his Achilles.
After NOLA, Cousins played for the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers. He missed both opportunities to win NBA titles in 2019 and 2020 due to injuries and other unfortunate circumstances. Before leaving the NBA for good, Cousins also played for the Houston Rockets, LA Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Denver Nuggets.
DeMarcus Cousins wants to be around family more often
DeMarcus Cousins was supposed to make a return during the 2023-24 season as rumors about him joining the Warriors surged through the internet. Unfortunately, the free agent did not want to return. The world soon found out why Cousins did not want to return to the league and why he’s come to peace with the fact that his time in the NBA is over.
During an episode of Podcast P with Paul George, Cousins said, “I’ll never accept the label that I can’t play the game anymore. I know what I can do when I get on the floor. I had to come to peace with it when it came to my family and my situation at home.” Cousins’ NBA return was stunted with injuries which is why teams found less value in his presence.
DeMarcus Cousins opens up about moving on from the NBA.
Full convo drops Monday pic.twitter.com/Vc2aN72gck
— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) February 24, 2024
“People don’t realize when it comes to this career, this sh*t takes all our time… It’s a lot of stress on your family… Being an everyday dad, that sh*t meant the world… I wasn’t able to do that sh*t in my career because we’re always gone,” Cousins concluded. The Kings‘ prodigy has two children with his longtime girlfriend Morgan Lang.
DeMarcus Cousins sees a future in Taiwan
After putting aside his career in the NBA and closing that chapter of his life for good, DeMarcus Cousins was recruited overseas. In January 2024, Cousins signed a 10-day contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards to participate in four home games. As far as it seems, Cousins has had a great time in Taiwan. During an interview with Hoopshype, he stated his willingness to return to Taiwan soon.
“I enjoyed my time there. I look forward to spending more time there. And, you know, like I said, this game has taken me all over the world. I’m really blessed,” he said. Before flying to Taiwan, Cousins played in Puerto Rico for a couple of months. Even though the NBA may never see him on the court again, he will still be an integral part of its history.
