Warriors' Steve Kerr 'Devastated' by Lakers' DeMarcus Cousins Tearing ACL
August 15, 2019
Steve Kerr, who coached DeMarcus Cousins last season with the Golden State Warriors, is "devastated" after learning the four-time All-Star tore his ACL on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters during a USA Basketball practice, Kerr shared some thoughts about the recent injury woes for Cousins:
Ben Golliver @BenGolliverSteve Kerr on DeMarcus Cousins: “You’re talking about a player who has dealt with the 2 most feared injuries for NBA players - the Achilles & the ACL - in 2 or 3 years, it’s unheard of. What a blow for him and the Lakers. Hopefully he can get back on the bike and start riding.” https://t.co/QB8KwgcK9I
Cousins' agent, Jeff Schwartz, confirmed his client's torn ACL to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The injury occurred when he banged knees with another player during an on-court workout in Las Vegas.
Wojnarowski noted there's no timeline for Cousins to undergo surgery and his status for the 2019-20 season is in jeopardy.
Kerr knows firsthand how difficult things have been for Cousins over the past year. The 29-year-old had to sit out the first 45 games last season as he rehabbed from a ruptured Achilles suffered in January 2018.
Cousins appeared in 30 games to finish the regular season and Golden State's first two playoff games before going down with a quad injury. He returned in the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors, posting a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds in a 109-104 Game 2 win.
The Los Angeles Lakers bet on Cousins by signing him to a one-year deal in July. He was expected to compete with JaVale McGee to be their starting center.