DeMarcus Cousins made a name for himself in the NBA, especially when he first joined the Sacramento Kings. He was not shy about saying what's on his mind in the league, and it also got him in trouble a few times, but that is who he is. He recently got real about Nikola Jokic and, in the same interview, made his thoughts known about his desire to see his jersey retired in Sacramento.
Cousins joined fellow Kings legend Mike Bibby and his co-host Eddie House on the “Straight Game Podcast”, and the two legends started talking about jersey retirement.
“It would be an honor. That was something that I wanted and strived for as far as why I tried to go out and perform every night,” Cousins stated. “Accolade-wise, I did everything right in that jersey under the organization. Regarding All-Stars, All-NBA selections, numbers, and gold medals, I think I put my work in and earned my stripes.”
The numbers that DeMarcus Cousins put up were impressive. In seven seasons, he averaged 21.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists on 45.9% shooting from the field and 32.2% from three.
His later years in Sacramento led him to be considered the best center in the NBA because he combined extremely physical play with the ability to score from all levels of the court. Given his size, he became an excellent shooter. That difference made him almost unguardable in his prime.
He was a three-time All-Star with the Kings, twice selected to the second All-NBA team, and won gold medals in the 2014 FIBA World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games.
The biggest issue for Cousins was that despite his production, the Kings never made the postseason once during his time in Sacramento.
In the interview, Cousins mentioned that he knows a lot goes into jersey retirements and that stats alone won't determine it for him.
“Like you [Mike Bibby] said, it’s a political thing, but as far as the work being done, I think I did what needed to be done to join the others in the rafters.”
The talent alone should get Cousins in, but the Kings have been a tortured franchise. They made the playoffs recently and had some success, but decided to blow up their core and traded away De'Aaron Fox.
The Kings currently have 11 retired numbers, and it would make a lot of sense for them to add a twelfth with Cousins after his career-long dominance.
