Warriors News: DeMarcus Cousins Calls 2018 the Longest Year of His Life

As the book closes on 2018, Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins is reflecting back on a year that has seen him sidelined due to injuries since Jan. 26. 

Speaking to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, Cousins called 2018 "the longest year of my life" before expressing optimism for the upcoming year. 

"I'm looking forward to the new year and the new blessings," he said. "New tests. New excitement. Fresh year. Fresh start. ... I'll put it as simple as possible, 2018 was the most difficult and challenging year of my life. I'm extremely excited for 2019."

Cousins' 2017-18 season came to a premature end when he tore his Achilles in January against the Houston Rockets. He missed out on the New Orleans Pelicans' playoff run and was unable to secure a long-term contract as a free agent over the summer. 

Spears said on SportsCenter (h/t The Atlantic's Jemele Hill) in July that Cousins told him he didn't receive a contract offer from any team before signing a one-year mid-level exception worth $5.3 million with Golden State. 

The Warriors are still waiting to see what Cousins can bring to their team. The 28-year-old has been rehabbing his Achilles, with head coach Steve Kerr telling reporters on Dec. 17 that he's "not that close" to returning. 

With Golden State looking more vulnerable this season than it has during its run of three titles in the previous four years, Cousins' potential return in 2019 could be more essential for the team to run through the Western Conference playoffs than it seemed when he first signed.