<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DeMarcus-Cousins-Kobe-Bryant-Lakers.jpg"></figure><h1>Kobe Bryant made DeMarcus Cousins realize something when they first faced each other</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-26T20:39:31-08:00">January 26th, 8:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-26T20:39:31-08:00">January 26th, 8:39pm</time><address><a>Virgil Villanueva</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On the day of Kobe Bryant’s first death anniversary, several <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-sixers-allen-iverson-pays-tribute-lakers-kobe-bryant-6-word-message/">NBA players looked back</a> on their first match up with the Los Angeles Lakers great. Houston Rockets big man DeMarcus Cousins, who was part of the Sacramento Kings during that time, realized that his dreams had actually come true upon seeing Kobe.</p><p>Cousins fondly remembers facing the Lakers for the first time during his rookie year in the 2010-2011 season. As he was prepping up for the opening tip, he saw Kobe walking over. He told <a href="https://twitter.com/Rachel__Nichols?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1354161277111832577%7Ctwgr%5E&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D987457action%3Dedit">ESPN’s Rachel Nichols</a> that’s when he realized that he was actually a legitimate NBA player.</p><blockquote>“I remember the jump ball against Andrew Bynum and looking over and seeing Kobe. That’s when it was surreal. That’s when I realized I was really part of the NBA.”</blockquote><p>Cousin shared his first Kobe encounter story along with the likes of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Damian Lillard, and many others. Like Cousins, all of them had a memorable first meeting with the Black Mamba.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">What was it like to step onto the court against Kobe for very the first time? I spent weeks asking dozens of NBA players that question and wow, the stories that came out from Steph, LeBron, KD, Melo, John Wall, Kyrie, James Harden, Kyle Lowry, Draymond, Paul George &amp; so many more <a href="https://t.co/iUMQVfhnDI" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/iUMQVfhnDI</a></p><p>— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rachel__Nichols/status/1354161277111832577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 26, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>In Cousins’ rookie season, Kobe was fresh from winning back-to-back titles with the Lakers. Records reveal that in Boogie’s first official meeting against the five-time NBA champion, the <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=301103023">Purple and Gold defeated the Kings, 112-100</a>. Cousins finished with 11 points and six rebounds. He shot just 3-of-13 from the field. As for Kobe, he dropped a triple-double with 30 points, 10 boards, and 12 assists.</p><p>DeMarcus Cousins’ memory, however, might be a little foggy now as Bynum did not play in that game. But then again, it’s pretty understandable to forget all the other details when you’re about to face Kobe Bryant for the first time.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kobe Bryant made DeMarcus Cousins realize something when they first faced each other

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/rockets-news-demarcus-cousins-reacts-to-vintage-performance-after-struggling-to-start-season.jpg"></figure><h1>DeMarcus Cousins reacts to vintage performance after struggling to start season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-24T08:28:07-08:00">January 24th, 8:28am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-24T08:28:07-08:00">January 24th, 8:28am</time><address><a>Jeremy Chua</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Houston Rockets big man DeMarcus Cousins turned back the clock as he came out with a vintage performance against the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night. After snagging their second-straight victory, Cousins shed light on the level of perseverance that he had to exhibit over the years amid all the struggles just to get to this point.</p><blockquote>“It’s just proof that the work is working,” the four-time All-Star said via <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30768229/houston-rockets-demarcus-cousins-flashes-dominance-cathartic-28-point-17-rebound-night">ESPN</a>. “The work, the time, the effort, those days I didn’t want to get up and do it, the days I thought I was wasting, my time, the dog days I thought it was over for me — all of those thoughts at some point flashed in my mind. I would be lying if I didn’t have those moments, but just continue to believe in myself.”</blockquote><p>With Christian Wood ruled out of the contest due to a right ankle sprain, the Rockets leaned on Cousins to be their focal point in the paint. He concluded the game with a double-double performance of 28 points, 17 rebounds, and five assists. Veteran swingman Eric Gordon also came out firing with 33 points on 6/9 shooting from beyond the arc.</p><p>The combined efforts of the two players were already enough to fend off Luka Doncic’s 26-point output for the Mavs. The Rockets stepped on the pedal and never looked back as they finished with a 133-108 victory after a high-scoring contest between the two teams.</p><p>After the game, Cousins shared that his performance in the game will help fuel him in their coming games. Moreover, he also remains optimistic for the long season ahead of him and the team.</p><blockquote>“It’s a confidence boost, for sure,” he said. “It lets you know that it’s able to be done. It lets you know that the work you’re putting in is starting to come around. Stay the course. It’s a long season. It’s definitely going to be a process for me. I’m sure there’s going to be more bad days ahead. Just stay the course, stay level-headed and never stop working. That’s really all I can do.”</blockquote><p>Hopefully, DeMarcus Cousins will get to sustain the momentum and help the Rockets as they enter uncharted territories with former star player James Harden now out of their roster.</p><p>Armed with a 6-9 record, the team will aim for their third consecutive victory when they host the Washington Wizards on Jan. 26.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

DeMarcus Cousins reacts to vintage performance after struggling to start season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/The-worst-technical-foulsejections-of-the-2020-21-season-ft.jpg"></figure><h1>The worst technical fouls of the NBA season, starring Draymond Green, DeMarcus Cousins</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-22T16:32:22-08:00">January 22nd, 4:32pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-22T16:32:58-08:00">January 22nd, 4:32pm</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>What is a technical foul in the NBA? Great question. The answer? Nobody really knows. Warriors forward Draymond Green had his technical foul rescinded by the NBA on Friday morning, and that call led to many questions about what constitutes a technical in today’s league. DeMarcus Cousins would like to know as well.</p><p>So, let’s take a look at some of the questionable–at best–technicals called in this short NBA season.</p><h2>NBA technical malpractice:</h2><h2>4. DeMarcus Cousins Swats at the King</h2><p>DeMarcus Cousins went from LeBron’s teammate to getting <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/3-best-landing-spots-for-demarcus-cousins-nba-free-agency/">ejected from an NBA game</a> for swatting at LeBron<a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1352470480985366529?s=20"> in a matter of months.</a></p><p>Boogie has had his fair share of technicals over his career and has four already in the early stages of this NBA season.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">DeMarcus Cousins now ejected too for a Flagrant 2 foul on LeBron James.</p><p>Boogie and Markieff Morris are both out of the game.<a href="https://t.co/ndF1H4afUT" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/ndF1H4afUT</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1348433488568004608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 11, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Sure, Cousins made contact with James, but a flagrant 2 seems a bit excessive. He was making a play on the ball, and knowing the relationship between the two NBA players, this what almost certainly unintentional.</p><p>For whatever reason, Cousins was granted a Flagrant 2 for this foul and had to spend the rest of the NBA game in the Rockets locker room watching on TV.</p><h2>3. Boogie Against the Lakers, Part 2</h2><p>For whatever reason, the Lakers and Boogie Cousins just aren’t memorable games for the Rockets’ NBA big man.</p><p>Cousins was trying to draw a charge on Kyle Kuzma in this NBA game, and instead got called for a block, much to the dismay of Boogie.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">DeMarcus Cousins to referee: "Wait, how was that–"</p><p>Ref: "TECHNICAL FOUL!! THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING BOOGIE!!"<a href="https://t.co/JtErYi6Hjq" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/JtErYi6Hjq</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1349192608778571779?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 13, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p> </p><p>Yeah, this shouldn’t be an NBA technical. Players express their frustrations with the referees all the time and the fact that Boogie got one there is, well, questionable at the very best.</p><p>Cousins has a reputation throughout his NBA career, and perhaps that sits in the refs’ minds while calling games when he’s on the floor. Nonetheless, the technicals he’s received this season, in general, have been interesting.</p><h2>2. Kelly Oubre Blows a Kiss at Trezz</h2><p>For some reason, the Warriors, Rockets, and Lakers have all taken part- in some way or the other- in each of these bad NBA calls, including the one at number one.</p><p>Kelly Oubre Jr. received an NBA technical for blowing a kiss. Yes, that’s not a typo.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Oubre got a tech for blowing a kiss at Trezz 😂 <a href="https://t.co/qAQqVeIDPB" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/qAQqVeIDPB</a></p><p>— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1351378146172420098?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 19, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Oubre drained a three and turned and blew a kiss in the direction of Lakers forward Montrezl Harrell, and received a technical-much to the surprise of the Warriors’ NBA wing.</p><p>The stature of technicals have certainly gone done in recent years in the NBA. Oubre couldn’t believe it as he smirked and stared at the ref in bewilderment.</p><p>Lesson learned by NBA players: Make the basket, turn around, and say nothing to be safe.</p><h2>Worst NBA technical of the season:</h2><h2>1. Draymond Green Speaks to His Own Teammate</h2><p>This one is the most recent, but is also the most outrageous NBA technical we have seen in quite some time.</p><p>Green had received one technical earlier in the NBA contest, and this one led to him heading to the locker rooms earlier than everybody else.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Draymond Green just got ejected for picking up his second technical foul. </p><p>Green was talking to teammate James Wiseman, but the ref thought he was talking to him and ejected the Warriors forward. 🤦🏽‍♂️<a href="https://t.co/EDyqj6B2ra" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/EDyqj6B2ra</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1352470480985366529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 22, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Yes, Green was tossed by the refs on Thursday because of that technical. He was talking to teammate James Wiseman, but apparently, the ref thought it was directed at him and took favor.</p><p>Stephen Curry, Steve Kerr, and others couldn’t believe this happened. Curry pleaded with the officials for a while, holding back laughter because of the absurdity of the call.</p><p>The loss of Green was a big one for the Warriors, and the New York Knicks ended up winning the game, 119-104.</p><p>The NBA ended up rescinding the technical, but too little too late in a costly mistake that led to Green missing an entire half of the game.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The NBA is rescinding the second technical foul on Warriors forward Draymond Green last night vs. New York, which forced him to be ejected late in the first half, the league tells me and <a href="https://twitter.com/anthonyVslater?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@anthonyVslater</a>.</p><p>— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1352700313476751360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 22, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>So, the definition of a technical foul in today’s game is confusing, perplexing, and just doesn’t have any sort of clarity, and hopefully, the league addresses that going forward.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

The worst technical fouls of the NBA season, starring Draymond Green, DeMarcus Cousins

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Rockets-James-Harden-John-Wall-Demarcus-Cousins.jpg"></figure><h1>Rockets’ John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins called out James Harden in tense locker room meeting before trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-18T09:20:35-08:00">January 18th, 9:20am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-18T09:21:00-08:00">January 18th, 9:21am</time><address><a>Michael Corvo</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After James Harden’s final game with the Houston Rockets — a second consecutive blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers — any simmering tensions being harbored by his former teammates about his October trade demand and ensuing behavior finally boiled over.</p><p>According to a new <a href="https://theathletic.com/2329532/2021/01/18/inside-the-final-days-of-the-james-harden-era-with-the-houston-rockets/?source=emp_shared_article">report</a> in The Athletic from Kelly Iko and Sam Amick, the Rockets were finally “fed up with the antics”, and a few notable names, including John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, voiced their displeasure with Harden over is lack of commitment to his teammates and first-year head coach Stephen Silas in a heated post-game locker-room discussion at the Toyota Center.</p><blockquote>“During the meeting, which was led by Silas, and which sealed his decision to keep Harden out of subsequent team activities until a trade was complete, sources say multiple teammates expressed displeasure with Harden’s recent body language and effort,” Iko and Amick write. “Silas had asked if anyone wanted to share their unfiltered views, and the dialogue about their dysfunction began from there.”</blockquote><p>Harden played MVP-caliber basketball in the first three games of the season, but his effort over his final four games for the Rockets was laughable, creating a toxic situation — on the court and off. Following a dismal performance against the Lakers, his teammates had finally had enough.</p><blockquote>“John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins both spoke during the meeting, sources said, seeking a direct response on Harden’s level of commitment and preaching about the importance of accountability. For those who had been with the Rockets back when Westbrook preached the same message to anyone who would listen, these uncomfortable dynamics were all too familiar,” The Athletic noted.</blockquote><p>After the meeting, Harden delivered his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c-4aYVaI28">now-infamous press conference</a> in which he said Houston wasn’t good enough to contend and called the situation “crazy” and irreparable.</p><p>The following day, Cousins took his frustration public, criticizing Harden for the “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyxfCyszQk4">disrespect</a>” levied towards the organization.</p><p>Clearly, both parties are better off now that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-james-harden-knew-about-trade-to-nets-during-infamous-press-conference/">Harden got his wish and landed with the Brooklyn Nets</a>.</p><p>If you’re interested in more Houston-related tea, Amick and Iko’s <a href="https://theathletic.com/2329532/2021/01/18/inside-the-final-days-of-the-james-harden-era-with-the-houston-rockets/?source=emp_shared_article">report</a> provides a thorough accounting of the unraveling of the Rockets in the months since the bubble.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins called out James Harden in tense locker room meeting before trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Rockets-DeMarcus-Cousins-Rudy-Gay.jpg"></figure><h1>Rockets’ DeMarcus Cousins’ creative dap with Rudy Gay screams new normal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-14T18:58:48-08:00">January 14th, 6:58pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-14T18:59:19-08:00">January 14th, 6:59pm</time><address><a>Dijo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With COVID-19 taking center stage, everyone has no choice but to be creative in how they go about their daily lives. On Thursday, former teammates DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay did exactly that as they greeted each other ahead of the Houston Rockets’ game against the San Antonio Spurs.</p><p>The two old friends go way back in their Sacramento Kings days and had to show each other some love before tip-off. But, with all the health and safety protocols being rolled out by the league, the two tried their best to stay six feet apart and dapped each other with their feet.</p><p>Talk about the new normal low-five.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Boogie and Rudy Gay found a new way to dap up 😂 <a href="https://t.co/DjMFa2GhCk" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/DjMFa2GhCk</a></p><p>— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1349906395756261378?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>With all the confusing protocols and measures the league office has been dishing out, you’d understand the reluctance from both Cousins and Gay. The global pandemic continues to rock the world and the league has certainly felt the effects of this. <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/nba/article/nba-postpones-wizards-pistons-warriors-suns-games-due-covid-protocols/">As the weeks go by, more and more games are being postponed due to players testing positive for the deadly virus</a>. Due to the league’s strict contact tracing protocols, just being in close contact with someone before or after the game can force you to quarantine.</p><p>This would be the worst possible time for the Rockets to miss a player like Cousins due to quarantine. The Rockets would need everyone in their roster available while they undergo a major overhaul after<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nets-nets-james-harden-outlook-on-sacrifice-with-kevin-durant-kyrie-irving/"> finally parting ways with their former franchise player in James Harden</a>.</p><p>Boogie and the rest of the team would have to stay as safe as possible as they wait for the arrival of Victor Oladipo and transition to a new-look franchise.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ DeMarcus Cousins’ creative dap with Rudy Gay screams new normal

Jimmy Butler

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