'I think he's the MVP' - DeMarcus Cousins on former LA Lakers teammate LeBron James
DeMarcus Cousins has given his stamp of approval to LeBron James in the race for the regular-season MVP title in a way only he could. Speaking to Jalen Rose and David Jacoby on the Jalen and Jacoby podcast, Boogie discussed how the LA Lakers have gelled as a unit this season. He also revealed that LeBron James has made it his personal mission to get his LA Lakers teammates firing on all cylinders.
DeMarcus Cousins picks LeBron James over Giannis Antetokounmpo for regular-season MVP
With the NBA restart looming large, many people have been reigniting the MVP debate between the LA Lakers' LeBron James and last season's winner of the title, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Players like Kawhi Leonard, Luka Doncic, James Harden, Anthony Davis, and more are also among the names being thrown around but the main battle seems set to be around LeBron James and the Greek Freak. Boogie thinks it's a done deal though and this is what he had to say on the matter:
"Overtake him (Giannis Antetokounmpo)? I think he's the MVP. He's the only player in the league right now with gray hair. What more do you need from him? He's doing this with gray hair and a gray beard. I don't know what more you need."
In all fairness, Boogie does have a point. While LeBron James is #2 in the race behind Giannis, he will be looking to make a statement in the 8 remaining regular season games the LA Lakers will play in Orlando before the playoffs start.
The 35-year-old LeBron James has been in tremendous form, with an average of 25.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 10.6 assists this season.
Boogie thinks LeBron James and the LA Lakers have a good evnironment
Cousins also spoke about the bubble and what he made of the LA Lakers' chances to go all the way and give LeBron James his fourth NBA title and first since 2016. The LA Lakers go into the NBA restart with a 49-14 record and the #1 seed in the Western Conference. This is what he said:
"It's a tricky situation. This bubble is something I don't think any guy has experienced before. if this was the regular season playing out the way it was, I'm definitely picking the (LA) Lakers. With that being said and the whole dynamic of what's going on right now, I think it's an even playing field."
Cousins, who had signed with the LA Lakers at the start of the season before tearing an ACL and being sidelined, also went on to compliment the environment LeBron James and the LA Lakers have been able to create around their team.
With good vibes and positivity, Boogie feels LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been able to motivate their teammates to be focused on winning the Larry O'Brien trophy. He said:
"I think it starts with the two-headed snake, LeBron (James) and AD. Those guys did a great job of creating an atmosphere and getting guys to buy into it and leading by example."
The LA Lakers will start their campaign at the Disney World Complex with a match against the LA Clippers on July 30th, who are hot on their heels in the Western Conference.
Also read: 5 reasons why 2020 could be LeBron James’ last chance to win an NBA Championship