The last few seasons have been very tumultuous for Houston Rockets center DeMarcus Cousins. It was not too long ago many thought Cousins to be the best center in the NBA.
Cousins was paired with Anthony Davis in the frontcourt with the New Orleans Pelicans following a trade from the Sacramento Kings, becoming one of the most feared duos in the NBA. His game was expanding and at 27-years old, he was a budding superstar. Then, injuries hit. That is what makes this news so uplifting.
Cousins signed a one-year, non-guaranteed deal with the Houston Rockets this offseason. It is a far cry from where he was just three years ago, but an accomplishment nonetheless to return at all. Today, the Rockets rewarded him by guaranteeing his contract for the remainder of the season.
It is hard not to think, what if when it comes to the former Kentucky standout. Cousins’ career trajectory changed forever in January of 2018. He was in the midst of his fourth consecutive All-Star season when he ruptured his Achilles tendon. That was the start of an avalanche of injuries that derailed what looked like a Hall of Fame career path.
Cousins missed out on a massive contract extension as the injury came during the season heading into free agency. Instead, he signed a one-year deal with the Golden State Warriors, hoping to become an NBA Champion. That never materialized, as Cousins went down with a torn quad in April, before Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant both suffered devastating injuries as well.
Cousins gutted it out and somehow returned six weeks after tearing his quad to playing in the NBA Finals. He landed a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers that offseason but never actually suited up in the purple and gold. Before the season getting underway, Cousins tore his ACL playing pickup and missed the entire 2019-20 season.
Despite not playing with the Lakers, he will receive a ring for everything he did to help the team. With how promising a career Cousins was having, it was sad to see him suffer multiple catastrophic injuries.
While the Rockets’ season has not gone as well as they had hoped on the court, it is inspiring to see DeMarcus Cousins out there playing again on a nightly basis.
