Former NBA All-Star and Sacramento Kings fifth overall draft pick DeMarcus Cousins will continue his career across the Pacific in China. Cousins hasn’t played in the NBA since 2022 and has since taken his talents international, extending his playing career. Now, the big man will give the 3×3 game a go. Considering his international success, Cousins has another chance to shine.
DeMarcus Cousins Extends Playing Career in China
On To China For Former NBA All-Star
DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins, a former All-NBA player and four-time All-Star, last played for the Denver Nuggets before exiting the league. Now, two years later, the once-dominant center will play for Wuxi WenLV of the FIBA 3×3 World Tour. Signing a contract with the team this week, Cousins will move to China, according to FIBA.
Olympic Gold Medalist and 4x NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins has joined World Tour team Wuxi WenLv 🇨🇳 until the end of the season 👀
How do you think he will do on the #3x3WT? pic.twitter.com/DkLDPNz1qN
— 3×3 Basketball |FIBA3x3 (@FIBA3x3) August 27, 2024
The condensed version of basketball made some headlines earlier this summer in the 2024 Paris Olympics, the sport’s second Olympic appearance following the Tokyo 2020 Games. Now, Cousins will have the opportunity to bring his skills to the half-court.
Cousins NBA Career
It’s an oddity that the former NBA All-Star has not landed with an NBA team at all in the past two years since departing Denver. It’s hard to believe that no team has given Cousins a shot for playoff runs, either. Cousins jumped around the NBA representing seven organizations, beginning with the Sacramento Kings, whom he was drafted by in 2011. It was a shaky start to his career with the Kings, eventually leading to a divorce. However, Cousins has always played hard and with force. His most productive and impressive years came with the New Orleans Pelicans, where he played alongside a much younger Anthony Davis. He also impressed during his time with the Golden State, although he only played 30 games for the Warriors.
His NBA journey took him to Houston, Milwaukee, and Denver, where his career was seemingly closed. He also spent time in Los Angeles for the Clippers and Lakers. But he never saw playing time with the Lakers due to an ACL tear. Injuries played a significant role during Cousins’ career.
Boogie’s Muddled Reputation
In the eyes of many, Cousins caught a bad rap throughout his playing days. His reputation as a poor teammate with bad behavior followed him year after year, although not everyone held this opinion. DeAndre Jordan labeled Cousins as a “great teammate” while with the Clippers. Former Kings teammate Matt Barnes also stuck up for Cousins when his time in Sacramento ended in a bad way. Barnes spoke highly of Cousins, calling him a “good dude.”
Even ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith has lamented within the last year that it’s shameful Cousins is not currently in the NBA.
International Career
No stranger to international play, Cousins last played in Taiwan’s T1 League, where he was touted as the league’s most popular player of the year. He averaged 24 points per game last season. Between Taiwan and the Nuggets, Cousins played a year in Puerto Rico’s Baloncesto Superior Nacional league.
If the four-time All-Star’s future in the NBA is no longer in the cards, those who like Cousins as a player can feel good for him knowing he’s still playing ball somewhere out there in the basketball realm.
