Subscribe
Follow Us
Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green now understands the stance his former teammate, DeMarcus Cousins, made in 2018. On a recent episode of the Draymond Green Show, Green discussed the thin line between an NBA player's attitude and passion. These attributes often followed Green and Cousins' respective careers as contentious labels.
However, winning was ultimately the deciding factor in how a player was praised for his style of play, while the other was often deemed moody and high-sprung. Injuries coupled with a poor reputation ended Cousins' time in the NBA. Green admitted he disagreed with Cousins' take then, but now, six years removed from the conversation, he sees DeMarcus' point of view crystal clear.
“There's passion, and there's attitude. They live in the same house, but the difference is how they're characterized and categorized,” Green said. “I remember you said something to me in 2018, ‘Man, we're the same. And they say you got passion, and they say I'm crazy and got an attitude,' I was like, ‘Cous, you're f****** crazy, we ain't the same.' And what you said was, ‘Nah, but ya'll be winning. So, they say yours is passion. I haven't won much, so they say mine is an attitude, and I can't be coached, and I'm crazy, and this and that,' and I say all of that to say, I'm sorry because you was right.”
Cousins couldn't contain himself from laughing out loud as Green recounted the story to him before adding his perspective.
“You get to a point where you just learn to control what you can control, and at the end of the day, in this lifetime, there's gonna be mother f****** that hate you, there's gonna be mother f****** that love you. That's just how this goes, no matter how many things you do right. There's gonna be something to hate about what you're doing. You're doing it the right way. That's just the nature of life.”
Cousins played one season with the Warriors in 2018-19.
DeMarcus Cousins is not chasing an NBA comeback
Former NBA star DeMarcus Cousins is content with not playing in the NBA. He signed a deal with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in December, playing four games in January. And while there's no telling if he'll head overseas to continue his career, he's happy with the association in his rear-view mirror.
“I know I've had my time there. You know, there was a point where I was trying to make that happen. But the place I'm in my life now, just with everything I've got going on, just outside of basketball, like I'm in a good place,” Cousins said, per B/R. “So, like I said, I'm excited for what I have ahead of my future.
“My 12 years in the league were a small chapter of chapters in my life. And I'm ready to move on to the next and see what's in store for me.”
Cousins' last stint in the NBA was in 2021-22, playing 31 games for the Denver Nuggets.
