Sacramento has been a city devoid of hope for its basketball team for years. The Kings last made the playoffs in the 2005-06 season, and haven’t had much success since. There have been flashes of good basketball over that barren stretch, but nothing has brought long term progress.
One of the few bright spots since the start of the league’s longest playoff drought was the young dynamic duo of Isaiah Thomas and DeMarcus Cousins. The two shared the court at Arco Arena from the 2011-12 season until Thomas’ departure to Phoenix following the 2013-14 season. The three year stint featured some pretty dismal records, as the team never reached more than 28 wins. But it featured the blossoming of two young stars, neither of whom achieved the success they desired in California’s capital.
Thomas’ only three years in a Kings uniform were shared with Cousins, who was drafted a year prior to the point guard in 2010. Cousins, a powerful and crafty big man, was selected with the fifth overall pick. On the other side of the spectrum, the equally crafty but significantly smaller Thomas was the 60th and final selection of the 2011 draft. The pair grew up together as NBA players in Sacramento, leading to their final season together for the 13-14 campaign.
Both players averaged over 20 points per game, with Thomas dropping 20.3 points and Cousins adding 22.7 points a night. The Kings were also aided by the addition of Rudy Gay via trade, who averaged 20.1 points per game in his 55 games in Sactown that year.
However, the band was broken up shortly after, as the Kings sent Thomas to Phoenix in a sign-and-trade. Boogie would follow him out the door a few seasons later, as he was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2016-17 season.
Before Cousins left the Kings, he was able to rack up four All-Star appearances following the Thomas trade. Thomas also had a couple of All-Star seasons after joining the Boston Celtics, most notably during the 2016-17 season when he averaged a whopping 28.9 points per game under the tutelage of Brad Stevens.
It is a shame that the pair were never teammates during their primes. At their absolute peaks, both were devastating to defend, getting all sorts of buckets on opposing defenders. Unfortunately, those peaks were cut short, as both players sustained serious injuries that derailed some of their golden years in the association.
These days, both players are on ten-day contracts, a far cry from the huge salary they commanded earlier in their careers. Thomas is providing backup guard minutes for the Pelicans, and Cousins is providing front-court depth for the Clippers.
The future is unclear surrounding both players’ futures this season, but their past accomplishments are undeniable. Although they were never teammates during their peaks, fans still savor the time they did spend together as they began their careers as budding stars with the Kings.
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