DeMarcus Cousins Confronts Reporter over Column on Nightclub Incident

Sacramento Kings star DeMarcus Cousins confronted a reporter in the team's locker room following Monday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers because of a column written on December 9 when the team was in New York. 

Per Sacramento Bee executive editor and senior vice president Joyce Terhaar, Cousins got in the face of Andy Furillo. 

On December 9, Graham Rayman of the New York Daily News reported the New York Police Department was nearing a misdemeanor assault charge and issuing a warrant for Matt Barnes' arrest for allegedly assaulting a woman at a nightclub. 

Cousins was also under investigation but unlikely to be charged for allegedly sucker-punching the boyfriend of the woman Barnes is said to have assaulted. 

Furillo's column for the Bee on that same day talked about the alleged incident in New York and referenced a TMZ Sports report in which the two-time NBA All-Star was involved in a nightclub confrontation in Tampa, Florida, that resulted in Cousins' brother being tased and arrested.

"Now, along with The DrYnk, Cousins will always have the Avenue," Furillo wrote to close out his column. "Maybe he, and Barnes, should find better places to hang out."

In their first meeting after Furillo published his column, Cousins used multiple expletive-laden sentences to illustrate his unhappiness with the words written. 

"We’re going to have some real f--king issues," he said, per Terhaar. "Don’t ever mention my brother again."

Kings guard Garrett Temple stepped in front of Cousins to try to calm his teammate down. The team provided a statement on the situation. 

"We are committed to being open and transparent, and any hint of media censorship is unacceptable," the Kings' statement said, via Terhaar. "There is an ongoing review into this matter, and we will take the appropriate steps immediately upon its conclusion."

Terhaar's article starts with Cousins' verbal tirade on Furillo, but it doesn't end there, with another Sacramento Bee reporter detailing her past experiences with the center. 

"He is a bully, to be sure," Bee columnist Ailene Voisin said. "He bullies everybody. He bullies his coaches, his teammates, team employees, reporters."

Cousins has had his share of issues in the NBA. He was suspended one game by the Kings last March due to conduct detrimental to the team, though he claimed the punishment was handed down by now-former head coach George Karl. 

There was another incident in November 2015. Cousins was suspended one game for hitting Al Horford during a Kings game against the Atlanta Hawks.