While most teams were able to generate plenty of hype with their newly-formed, All-Star pairings, the Los Angeles Lakers’ signing of DeMarcus Cousins has largely gone overlooked.
Cousins spent the bulk of the 2018-19 NBA season recovering from a torn Achilles after joining the Golden State Warriors and had started to show plenty of improvement until he tore his quad in the first round of the 2019 NBA playoffs against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Fortunately, Cousins was able to return to the court in a last-ditch effort to help the injury-plagued Warriors against the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 NBA Finals. Although there have still been some concerns with his health, Cousins feels confident he will be able to return to his All-Star form.
“Actually, the game that I tore my quad … that day I was saying how amazing I felt. I really started feeling like myself again and some unfortunate things ended up happening that night. I was really feeling good at the time. That is kind of a good thing because I know it’s possible to get back to that place. That is the positive I took out of it,” Cousins said during his conference call.
Cousins added that all the doubt about his ability has only served to add further motivation.
“I’ve kind of been doubted my whole life, and I use that as fuel to continue to push every single day,” Cousins explained. “One of my biggest fears is to be proven wrong by somebody that doesn’t agree with me or doesn’t have my best interest at heart.”
“So with that being said, I’m always seeking to prove those type of people wrong.”
It is certainly encouraging to see that the Lakers appear to have signed a Cousins that is even more motivated to prove the doubters than he was last season. A potential resurgence could be just what this roster needs to solidify their status as a championship contender heading into the 2019-20 season.
There is good reason for Cousins to be confident that he can get back to playing at an elite level. Despite the recent rash of injuries, the former four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA Second Team member is still in the prime years of his career at just 28-years-old.
Although there is still plenty of speculation regarding Cousins’ role moving forward, he will have a chance to potentially kill two birds with one stone in Los Angeles by not only securing that elusive ring but a lucrative payday next offseason.
