On Friday, the Los Angeles Lakers were certainly happy to find out that the misdemeanor charges injured big man DeMarcus Cousins faced for domestic violence had been dropped, but that doesn’t mean the mercurial big man has left his polarizing personality behind.
According to a recent report from Bill Oram of The Athletic, Cousins recently threatened reporters not to brush up against him while interviewing Anthony Davis in the Lakers locker room.
“Beyond the criminal charges, Cousins has historically been one of the NBA’s most disagreeable players and an annual leader in technical fouls,” Oram wrote. “Even Monday, as camera operators rushed postgame to get into position around Davis’ locker in the tight geography of the visitors’ locker room, Cousins, who was eating dinner off a paper plate at the next stall, warned, ‘If any of y’all bump me, there’s gonna be smoke.’”
It’s quite possible that Cousins was joking, but given his past and his recent brush-in with the law, it’s not exactly a laughing matter.
One interesting aspect of Cousins’ current predicament is that according to Oram, the big man is not required to speak to members of the press.
“The Lakers and the league have agreed that Cousins is not required to speak to reporters due to the unique nature of his situation,” Oram wrote.
Right now, it seems quite unlikely that Cousins will suit up for any games this season, despite the hopes of Lakers head coach Frank Vogel.
Still, what Oram primarily reported on was how well Cousins has managed to fit into the Lakers locker room this season despite his past issues, current knee injury and off-court distractions.
If he is able to continues to be a positive force off the court, he may just get an opportunity to re-sign with the team this offseason once his current one-year deal comes to an end.
