The Sacramento Kings have been one of the most pleasant surprises in the NBA this season. After years of mediocrity, the team has finally found success, and a lot of that has to do with the play of DeMarcus Cousins.
Cousins, who spent the first seven years of his career with the Kings, has been vocal in his support of the team this season. Speaking with NBA legend Paul Pierce and Rachel Nichols on SHOWTIME Basketball’s “What’s Burnin” podcast, Cousins shared his thoughts on Sacramento’s surprising 2022-23 NBA season and his joy for Kings fans.
“It’s dope,” Cousins told Nichols. “I’m just happy for the city and the fans because they really deserve it. That’s an incredible fanbase, they’re the definition of sticking through it through thick and thin.”
Cousins went on to praise the work the team has done so far.
“I think they’re super talented,” Cousins told Pierce and Nichols. “Young team, full of energy, full of excitement, you can tell they enjoy playing with one another. You can tell they have fun.”
Sacramento (36-25) has been playing great basketball this season, currently three games ahead of the Phoenix Suns (34-29) in the division and the Western Conference as a whole. The team has been consistent, hardworking, and healthy all season, something Cousins has applauded.
Though Cousins has had a rocky relationship with the Kings in the past, the free-agent center appears to be willing to move on, declaring in November 2022 that he would “love” to help Sacramento snap its historic playoff drought.
Despite injuries slowing down the four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection, he has proven to be a valuable commodity off the bench. In 48 games (seven starts) with the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets last season, Cousins averaged 9.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 15 minutes per game.
Overall in the last two seasons, Cousins has started in 18 out of a possible 89 games and averaged 8.9 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 16.1 minutes per game.
It is clear Cousins still can help a team in need of a backup big, and Kings fans would love nothing more than a reunion with one of the team’s biggest stars in the last decade.
Whether or not Cousins returns to Sacramento remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: he is rooting for the Kings and their fans and is enjoying their success from afar.
