DeMarcus Cousins Says He Doesn't Care About Backlash of Signing with Warriors
DeMarcus Cousins said Thursday it was "crazy" to see the outpouring of anger about his decision to sign with the two-time reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors in free agency.
Cousins told Chris Haynes of ESPN.com he doesn't care about the backlash and found humor in how quickly the opinions changed after he picked the Dubs:
"But, it's just kind of funny because before the whole thing started, I was just kind of wasted. I was damaged goods, not a winner, just everything negative. And soon as it happens, it's like, 'He's too damn good to [be a Warrior].' So, it's just kind of funny how the narrative switches right away when things don't go the way they expect it to."
Cousins suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in January. The major setback raised questions about what type of deal he'd receive as a free agent.
The 27-year-old Alabama native told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated it was "very insulting to not receive an offer" when the market opened, and that led him to contact and eventually sign with the already star-studded Warriors.
"This was my ace of spades," Cousins said. "This was my chess move."
Whether his decision is good for the NBA is up for debate, though.
OddsShark noted the Warriors are massive favorites to win the 2019 championship (minus-175). That betting line means Golden State would be favored even if the other 29 teams were combined to form a field bet, and that's not a surprise given its wealth of talent.
The Warriors are in a position where they would likely still be the top choice to win the title even if they were to lose one of their superstars to injury.
A starting lineup with Cousins, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green is light-years ahead of the competition, raising concerns about the NBA's competitive balance.
Boogie clearly isn't worried about that, though. He joined Golden State to win a title, and there's a high probability he'll do exactly that.
