‘To hell and back’
After devastating injures, Cousins finally feeling good.
For all it took to get here, all the pain endured and patience tested, DeMarcus Cousins can at last celebrate a simple fact.
“Man,” he said Thursday, “I feel incredible.”
It was a long time coming, fromthe Achilles injury with the Pelicans, the quad injury with the Warriors, the knee injury with the Lakers, and all the rehab it took, to the daily workouts that have turned heads at Toyota Center since Cousins signed with the Rockets as a free agent.
The road back was grueling for the four-time All-Star and certainly is not complete. Cousins has played just 30 games in nearly two seasons since suffering his Achilles injury against the Rockets in January 2019. He did not play at all last season, having injured his ACL in an August 2019 pickup game after signing with the Lakers.
But with all that it took to come this far, a journey Cousins said sent him “to hell and back,” he is not just confident he can complete his comeback and fit with the retooled Rockets, but is ready for whatever trials remain.
“I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you the task was tough, but now I think I’m built for it,” the 6-10 center said. “I took it (in) stride. I just fought through. I willed my way through. I learned a lot about myself, just life in general, even though it was a tough time in my life. … I think I’ve grown in a lot of areas of my life. I know everybody’s story is different. This just happens to be mine. So, you know, I’m going to roll with the punches.
“I feel like I went through a situation that a lot of people would probably give up and quit. I just took it as this ismy life lesson. It’s just preparing me for whatever’s next. Life is full of adversity. Every battle that you go through prepares you for the next one. … I’m not the only person that’s going through hard times or that has gone through hard times. And I’m not saying I went through theworst situation. But just when those times come, just fight through.”
The payoff, he said, can come not just with the opportunity with the Rockets but with Wednesday’s trade that reunites him with former Kentucky teammate and longtime friend John Wall.
Cousins had agreed to his one-year, nonguaranteed contract long before the Rockets traded Russell Westbrook to get Wall. But Cousins knew then it was a possibility.
“Man, that’s incredible,” he said. “That’s something we planned and dreamed about for a long time. I’m pretty sure he’s just as grateful for this moment as I am. I’m super excited. There’s obviously a chemistry between me and him fromour college days. Not only were we teammates in college, we’ve known each other since we were 14 years old. He was actually one of the groomsmen in my wedding. That’s my brother for life.
“I believe his game speaks for itself. He’s an incredible talent. That’s a given. The combination of him and James (Harden), that’s tough for any team to match up with.”
Cousins believes he and Christian Wood, the other center the Rockets signed this offseason, could alsobe an effective combination. He said his role is to provide “whatever’s needed.” But the ability of both to shoot from the perimeter, Cousins said, could allow them to play together. He even offered a comparison to his time in New Orleans sharing the floor with Lakers star Anthony Davis.
“I was just speaking with C-Wood about that today,” Cousins said. “I think he has a lot of the same intangibles as Anthony Davis. I think he has the intangibles to be first-team all-defense. I want to plant that seed early for him.”
Similarly, Cousins described the Rockets as having “all the right pieces to make things happen.” After spending the first months of last season with the Lakers, he said he will preach the mindset of “a winning culture, a team-first attitude.”
His own goal is simply to remain healthy. He chose the Rockets in part for its training staff. The hard part, however, is behind him.
“Obviously, itwas a tough task mentally, physically, but at the same time I was able to rest my body, a much-needed rest,” Cousins said. “Coming back off of that has been incredible. My body is in a great place, my mind is in a great place, and I’m just ready to get back on the floor and play basketball, play the game I love.
“Honestly, it is a fresh start.”