Despite not playing a single minute for the Los Angeles Lakers last season due to an unfortunate ACL injury  he suffered even before the campaign kicked off, DeMarcus Cousins is still in line to receive a championship ring from his former team. Cousins, who now plies his trade with the Houston Rockets, recently learned about this touching gesture from the Lakers, and the 30-year-old spoke about his appreciation for the same.

According to Cousins, this recognition serves as validation for the key role he played for the Lakers in spite of not being able to actually take the floor (h/t Mark Berman of Fox 26):

After an injury-ravaged 2018-19 campaign with the Golden State Warriors, Cousins signed with the Lakers in the summer of 2019. The team had high hopes for the four-time All-Star as a key addition to a LeBron James-led side. Sadly, Cousins suffered a season-ending ACL injury during preseason, which led to Los Angeles eventually waiving his services in February 2020.

While he is no longer the dominant big man he once was, Cousins has had a relatively fine campaign with the Rockets this term. He's been healthy for the most part, and has had a few breakout games for Houston thus far. The recent injury to starting center Christian Wood will likely lead to more minutes for Cousins — an opportunity he will surely be more than willing to take advantage of.

Cousins will be presented with his 2020 championship ring on Saturday when the Lakers host the Rockets in the Staples Center.