“To say, ‘Oh, they didn’t do nothing for me,’ what were they supposed to do for you?… You never took them to the playoffs” - Shaquille O’Neal reacts to DeMarcus Cousins’ comments on his time with the Kings
It's been an interesting past few years for Denver Nuggets big man DeMarcus Cousins. Once one of the NBA's most dangerous offensive centers with the Sacramento Kings, Cousins suffered a number of injuries. But that hasn't stopped the veteran as he continues to adapt to his new role as a valuable asset off of the bench.
Cousins has bounced around over the years, including stints with the LA Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks before landing with Denver, his fourth team this season. It's been a long journey for Cousins to keep his career rolling.
The four-time All-Star recently had some aggressive words towards the Kings. He said he never believed the organization did anything for him during his seven seasons with the team.
On "The Big Podcast," NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal discussed Cousins' comments:
"In order to be recognized as a great player, you gotta have a certain attitude. Like, you know, to say, 'Oh, they didn't do nothing for me,' what were they supposed to do for you? ... You never took them to the playoffs. A lot of people act like they are great but don't really know what it takes to be great.
"I learned early, when OG's talk about me, I don't get upset, I listen."
DeMarcus Cousins looks to provide spark for Denver Nuggets
It's been a tough road lately for DeMarcus Cousins, but the veteran big man has found himself as an important rotation asset with the Denver Nuggets.
Cousins was never afraid to make his opinion felt during his time in the NBA, and it's clear he still feels passionate about his tenure with the Sacramento Kings.
Cousins averaged 21.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks per game for Sacramento. He was an All-Star in his fifth, sixth and seventh seasons with the Kings, who drafted him with the No. 5 pick in 2010.
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Cousins was sent to the New Orleans Pelicans in a trade in February 2017, but suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon the following season. He was an All-Star in New Orleans in 2017-18 before suffering the injury in January 2018 and missing the final 34 games of that season.
After playing the following year with the Golden State Warriors, Cousins has been constantly trying to find a new home to keep his career alive. For now, it looks as if the veteran big man has found it with the Denver Nuggets. Cousins averaged 8.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game for the Nuggets in just 13.9 minutes.