DeMarcus Cousins

At 33 years old, DeMarcus Cousins has this physical status:

DeMarcus Amir Cousins (born August 13, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Nicknamed "Boogie" played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats, where he was an All-American in 2010.

He left Kentucky after one season and was voted with the fifth overall pick by the Sacramento Kings in the 2010 NBA draft.

Cousins was voted to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in his first season with the Kings, and he was named an NBA All-Star from 2015 to 2018.

He has won his first gold medal competition as a member of the United States national team in 2014 and his second at the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Personal life

Cousins is the son of Monique and Jessie Cousins. Jaleel, a professional basketball player, has four sisters and one brother, Jaleel.

Cousins have two children. Morgan Lang, his longtime girlfriend, married him in Atlanta on August 24, 2019.

Cousins was caught on audio recordings in August 2019 threatening to murder his ex-girlfriend after she refused to allow their son to attend his wedding. On Cousins, a warrant for misdemeanor domestic violence charge and a third-degree harassment accusation were issued. In November, the charges, which had been lodged in Alabama, were dismissed.

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High school career

Cousins attended LeFlore Magnet High School. He was a first-team Parade All-American in 2009 and finished with 14 points and 8 rebounds in the McDonald's All-American Boys Game. Cousins also competed in the 2009 Nike Hoop Summit in Portland and the Jordan Brand Classic in Madison Square Garden, scoring ten points for the black team. He led LeFlore to the Alabama state championship against Hillcrest, who defeated Austin High School to advance to the state championship but fell short of future college teammate Eric Bledsoe and Parker High School.

College career

Cousins first committed to Alabama-Birmingham on February 28, 2008, but no one has signed a letter of intent. On March 9, 2009, Cousins decommitted from UAB and moved to Memphis. Since Memphis coach John Calipari was fired at Kentucky, he resumed his search. Cousins followed John Calipari to Kentucky on April 7, 2009. On April 15, he signed his letter of intent. Cousins averaged 15.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game in Kentucky. The Wildcats, led by Cousins and John Wall, made it to the Elite Eight of the 2010 NCAA Tournament.

Professional career

Cousins revealed on April 7, 2010, that he will forego his final three seasons of collegiate eligibility and enter the 2010 NBA draft, where he was ranked fifth overall by the Sacramento Kings with the fifth overall pick. Cousins signed his rookie deal with the Kings on July 7, 2010, worth $7 million for the first two years, as well as a team option for the third and fourth years. Cousins was named Rookie of the Month for July in the NBA Summer League. Cousins was also selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team at the end of the 2010–11 season.

Cousins were "unwilling/unable to accept travelling in the same direction as his team's home game against the New Orleans Hornets on January 1, 2012; it cannot be ignored indefinitely," head coach Paul Westphal told Cousins. Cousins were reportedly insisting to be cut from the Kings after the dismissal, despite their average 13.0 points and 11.3 rebounds per game at the time. Cousins were later denied and were never told to be traded.

Westphal was fired from the Kings on January 5, 2012, prompting many to believe that the head coach's turbulent friendship with Cousins was a factor in his dismissal. Cousins was chosen to participate in the Rising Stars Challenge on February 8, 2012. He competed for Team Chuck, a blend of rookies and sophomores, and later developed into a squad.

Since Cousins' court threatened to intimidate Tim Duncan on the court, the league suspended Cousins for two games without compensation on November 11, 2012. Elliott's remark was apparently confirmed by Cousins shortly after the game. Elliott left the locker room and waited for Elliott to finish his post-game appearance before confronting him. Some criticized the suspension as overly harsh and based more on Cousins' image than what actually happened, while others said he should grow up and learn more about facing the media. Elliott was apologized by the Cousins in person before a game against the Spurs in March 2014, which Elliott said he appreciated.

Cousins was suspended indefinitely from the Kings on December 22, 2012, after being accused of "unprofessional conduct and conduct detrimental to the team." The suspension was lifted on December 24, 2012. Cousins, who posted career-best Player Efficiency Rating, field goal percentage, and free throw percentage, but the NBA had 16 Technical Foul infractions, and was suspended by both the league and the Kings.

Cousins announced that on September 30, 2013, they had signed a four-year, $62 million contract extension with the Kings. Cousins revealed that he would donate $1 million of his earnings to the families and families of Sacramento after signing the deal. With a 30-point, 14-rebound victory over the Denver Nuggets, he started the season right.

Cousins received a one-game suspension for punching Patrick Beverley in the stomach on February 26, 2014. In an 89–99 loss to the Detroit Pistons, Cousins posted a career-high 6 blocks, as well as 13 points and 14 rebounds.

Cousins was diagnosed with viral meningitis on December 7, 2014, despite averaging career highs of 23.5 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in the first 15 games of the season. In the 107–108 loss, he played ten games with the virus and showed no signs of letting down in his return to action on December 18 against the Milwaukee Bucks.

In the 2015 NBA All-Star Game, Cousins was selected to replace the injured Kobe Bryant as a Western Conference All-Star. The Cousins' selection marked the first time a Kings player has been named All-Star honors since Brad Miller and Peja Stojakovii, both from Sacramento, 2004.

Cousins' second triple-double in a 111–115 loss to the Houston Rockets on April 1, 2015, with 24 points, 21 rebounds, 10 assists, 6 blocks, and 3 steals. He became the fourth NBA player to win 20+ points, 20+ rebounds, 10+ assists, and 5+ blocks in a single game, partnering Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Chris Webber, and Tim Duncan in doing so. Cousins made the first Kings player to record triple doubles against the New Orleans Pelicans on April 3rd. Chris Webber did so in 2005. In a 95-101 loss, he scored 24 points, 20 rebounds, and a career-high 13 assists in just under 42 minutes of action. He joined an elite company as one of only three players to have consecutive 20-point, 20-rebound, 10-assist games; the others being Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain.

In a season opener loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on October 28, 2015, Cousins scored 32 points and 13 rebounds, as well as 4-of-5 three-pointers. In his previous 167 games, the Cousins had only four three-pointers and had never scored more than four in a single season. Cousins returned to action on November 9, scoring 21 points and 12 rebounds in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs after missing four games due to an Achilles injury between November 3-7. For a second time on November 11, the Cousins went 4-of-5 from three-point range for a second time, winning the game by 33 points to help the Kings beat the Detroit Pistons 101-92. In a 111-109 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, he scored a season-high 40 points in a season-high victory. On November 16, he was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played from Monday, November 9 to Sunday, November 15. It was Cousins' third career Player of the Week award, leading the Kings to a 3–1 record on the week.

In a 116-104 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on January 4, 2016, Cousins recorded 33 points and a season-high 19 rebounds. He scored 24 points and 15 rebounds in his ninth straight double-double double-double, and his 24th game of the season in 34 games on January 21. In a 108-97 victory over the Indiana Pacers, he scored a career-high 48 points on January 23, a career-high 48 points. For the second time in 2015-16, he was named Western Conference Player of the Week on January 25, 2015. In a 129-128 double overtime loss to the Charlotte Hornets, he hit his career high point in emphatic style that night, scoring 56 points. His 56 points set a record for the 2015–16 season and defeated Chris Webber's franchise record of 51 points. He was named a Western Conference All-Star reserve for the 2016 NBA All-Star Game, earning his second straight All-Star nod on January 28. With 24 points, ten rebounds, and 10 assists in a 128-119 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on February 5, he had his first triple-double of the season and fourth of his career. On February 19, he had 37 points, 20 rebounds, and four blocks against the Denver Nuggets, his ninth straight double-double, with 20-plus points and rebounds, defeating Webber's previous Sacramento record of 34 points and rebounds.

Cousins led to a 113-94 victory over the Phoenix Suns in the Kings' season opener on October 26, scoring a game-high 24 points. In a 102-94 loss, he backed it up against the San Antonio Spurs the next night, with 37 points and 16 rebounds. Cousins led the Kings' career double-doubles record with 246, beating Chris Webber's 245. In a 121–115 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on November 18, he scored a season-high 38 points on November 18, a season-high 38 points. In a 126–121 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, he set a new season record with 55 points. In a 106-100 loss to the Indiana Pacers on January 18, 2017, he posted his fifth triple-double, with 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. He was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, January 23 to Sunday, January 29. Cousins' 105-103 loss to the Phoenix Suns on February 3, 2017, he achieved his sixth triple-double in his career with 22 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists. He was suspended one game without compensation for his 16th technical foul of the 2016–17 season, just four days later. In addition, Cousins was fined $25,000 for making an inappropriate comment and gesture after leaving the playing court following the Kings' 109–106 victory over the Golden State Warriors on February 4 at Golden 1 Center on February 4th.

Cousins and teammate Omri Casspi were traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Tyreke Evans, Buddy Hield, Langston Galloway, and 2017 first-round and second-round draft picks. In a 129-99 loss to the Houston Rockets, he made his Pelicans debut three days later, tallying 27 points and 14 rebounds. In a 101-98 overtime loss to the San Antonio Spurs on March 3, 2017, he had 19 points and a season-high 23 rebounds. Tyson Chandler's 23 rebounds tied for the Pelicans' franchise record. He had 26 points and 15 rebounds before fouling out in the Pelicans' 105–97 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, marking Cousins' first victory as a Pelican. Cousins' win over the Memphis Grizzlies on March 21, 2017, Cousins put on his most consistent appearance as a Pelican, with 41 points and 17 rebounds. In his first game against Sacramento, the Pelicans won 117–89, he had 37 points and 13 rebounds. With five three-pointers, the Cousins tied a career high during the game.

In a 114-106 victory over the Kings in Sacramento on October 26, 2017, Cousins scored 41 points and 23 rebounds. In a 123-101 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, he recorded his first triple-double of the season, with 29 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. He was later named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played October 23-29. In a 99–94 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, he had 20 points, 22 rebounds, and seven assists, tying his career record with 20 defensive rebounds. In a 123–116 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on December 2, 2017, he scored 38 points. In a 123-114 victory over the Denver Nuggets, he had 40 points, 22 rebounds, and four blocks. In a 128-120 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on December 29, 2017, he had 32 points and 20 rebounds. It was his third game of the season with at least 30 points and 20 rebounds, making him the first player to do so since Kevin Love in 2010–11.

In a 132–128 double overtime win over the Chicago Bulls on January 22, 2018, Cousins had 44 points, 24 rebounds, and 10 assists. In a game, he became the first NBA player since Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1972 to score as many as 40 points, 20 rebounds, and ten assists. It was also the 10th 40-point, 20-rebound, 10-assist game in NBA history. He had 15 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists before injuring his left Achilles in the Pelicans' 115-113 victory over the Houston Rockets on January 26, 2018. Following the game, he was diagnosed with a torn left Achilles, and he underwent season-ending surgery on January 31.

Cousins turned to joining an elite team with the mid-level exception after not being offered any outstanding contracts from other clubs. The Cousins called Golden State general manager Bob Myers about his move to the Warriors and followed this by speaking with Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Draymond Green. He later accepted the Warriors' midlevel exception, completing a reported one-year contract for $5.3 million on July 6, 2018. Cousins' return to the court for the first time since rupturing his left Achilles tendon, he was sent to the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State's NBA G League affiliate team, where he had his first full contact workout on December 10, 2018. Cousins made his Warriors debut on January 18, scoring 14 points before fouling out of the 112–94 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. In a 116-102 victory over the Denver Nuggets, he scored a season-high 28 points to go with 13 rebounds. Cousins was out indefinitely after suffering a torn left quadriceps in Game 2 of the first round of the playoffs on April 16. In Game 1 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors, he made a return to the bench for his first NBA Finals game. In six games, the Warriors lost the series.

Cousins signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers on July 6, 2019. Cousins was reunited with his longtime colleague Anthony Davis on the New Orleans Pelicans. However, he tore his left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in an off-season pickup game in August, and he has never played for the Lakers. They were given a $1.75 million handicap waiver for Cousins and waived him off for Cousins on February 23, 2020, the first markief Morris trade. The Lakers won the NBA championship last season and had Cousins' name embossed on their championship rings.

Cousins signed a one-year deal with the Houston Rockets on December 1, 2020. On December 2, the Rockets traded John Wall, his loyal friend and former college buddy. The Rockets waived Cousins on February 23, 2021. He had 9.6 points and 7.6 rebounds in 20.2 minutes in 25 games with the Rockets.

Cousins announced on April 5, 2021, that they had signed a 10-day deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. He signed a second 10-day deal on April 16, and ten days later, he signed for the remainder of the season. He appeared in a total of 16 games for the Clippers, including all on the bench. He averaged 7.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1 assist in these 16 games. In a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, his season high with the Clippers was 16 points.

Cousins signed with the Milwaukee Bucks on November 30, 2021. In a 102-95 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, Cousins scored a season-high 22 points alongside grabbing 8 rebounds. He was released on January 6, 2022, so he was waived. Cousins started 5 games and averaged 9.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 16.9 minutes per game during his 17-game tenure with the Bucks.

Cousins reunited with his former coach Michael Malone on January 21, 2022, after signing a 10-day deal with the Denver Nuggets. He was granted a second 10-day contract on January 28. He began his third 10-day job on February 10. The Nuggets signed Cousins for the remainder of the season on February 25. Cousins defeated the Houston Rockets 116-101 on March 4, scoring a season-high 31 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals. His 31 points in 24 minutes was the fewest minutes in a 30-point game in his career, as well as his third career 30-point game in 35 minutes or less, equaling Freeman Williams for the most similar games in the shot clock era.

National team career

Cousins was a member of the United States national team that took home the gold medal at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in the United States. At the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he earned his second gold medal with Team USA.

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