DeMarcus Cousins has always had a reputation as a player with a temper, but on Monday, an altercation between Cousins and fans in Puerto Rico got out of hand.

Cousins, who played 11 years in the NBA, now plays for Mets de Guaynabo in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional. In a road game against Vaqueros de Bayamon, a fan appeared to make a crying motion toward Cousins.

Cousins walked over to the fan and grabbed his crotch, before grabbing the fan by the arm. The fan showed Cousins his middle finger before the two were separated.

Cousins was ejected from the game, but before making his way into the locker room, he pushed another fan who was taunting him. In response, that fan and others around him proceeded to throw food and drinks at Cousins.

Multiple police officers were eventually able to get Cousins into the locker room, breaking up the altercation.

The Vaqueros de Bayamon issued a statement following the incident.

“After the unfortunate incident that occurred during last night’s game against the Mets de Guaynabo, we offer our most sincere apologies to all our loyal fans.”

Cousins has not released a statement at this time.

The league has multiple well-known NBA players such as Danilo Gallinari and Javale McGee.

On Tuesday, the team announced that Cousins had been suspended for the remainder of teh season.

The Western Conference finals will see Game 6! Paul George scored a playoff career-high 41 points to help the Los Angeles Clippers stave off elimination in Phoenix on Monday night. Game 6 will now shift back to Los Angeles on Wednesday.

After the thrilling game, George was asked if he’s picked on more than other stars across the NBA. “I do,” George answered. “And it’s the honest truth. It’s a fact. But I can’t worry about that. It comes with the job, I guess… I still try to go and dominate… And so I’m beyond that, you know what I mean. I am who I am. I wish I could shoot 80%, 75%, on a nightly basis, but it’s not realistic. What I can do is do everything else,” he added. “They can judge me on what they want to. That part don’t matter to me. I’m going to go out there and hoop and give it everything I got.”

The Clippers showed true grit and determination during this Game 5 victory. They were already down star forward Kawhi Leonard (sprained right knee), and they had just learned they’d be without starting center Ivica Zubac (sprained right MCL). Most teams would fold under this immense pressure, but not the Clippers. In Zubac’s place, Marcus Morris Sr. started at center and had his best game of the series, hitting his first six shots and scoring 13 of his 22 points in the first quarter. The Clippers jumped out to a 20-5 lead in the opening minutes. That allowed George to feel his way into the game, according to coach Tyronn Lue.

Teammate Demarcus Cousins was also quick to give his props to George after the game. “I don’t know where this trolling bulls— has come from where the internet controls the narratives about these players,” he said. “It’s becoming foolish, man. Like I said earlier in the year, [George is] one of the most special players to ever lace his shoes up. Give this dude his flowers, man. I don’t understand the slander. It’s becoming quite silly now. Respect these players, man. Respect these greats.”

Cousins is completely on point about hyping up his teammate. George shot an unbelievable 10-of-14 on contested shots. He did a lot of his damage on pull-ups, going 7-for-10 on those shots, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. And he scored on seven different primary Suns defenders. “If they were going to finish this series off, they were going to have to work for it,” George said. “That was just the mentality we came into this with. We weren’t going to back down. We weren’t going to just throw in the towel. The fact of the matter is, they got to beat us.”

On Tuesday, a mutual decision was made between the Houston Rockets and center DeMarcus Cousins to part ways, which means the team would release Cousins, sources revealed to ESPN. The news of Cousins’ impending release was first reported by The Athletic.

Cousins is a four-time All-Star who has been attempting to make a comeback after a series of injuries. The 30-year old has bounced around the league the past few seasons after rupturing his Achilles tendon during the 2017-18 season during his time with the Pelicans.

Then, he signed with the Warriors but tore his quadriceps muscle during the 2018-2019 season. Cousins joined the Lakers for the 2019-20 campaign but tore his ACL before ever suiting up for the team. This year, in 25 games with the Rockets, Cousins averaged 9.6 points and 7.6 rebounds while shooting only 37.65 % from the floor in 25 games with the Rockets.

Sources said Cousins was unhappy with his role on the Rockets as a backup center, behind Christian Wood. They also said he would like more playing time. Rockets coach Stephen Silas did not consider alternating Wood and Cousins at center, but instead he wanted to only use Wood at center.

The Rockets have lost their past eight games. These games followed Wood going down with a sprained ankle. Over that stretch, Cousins averaged 12.1 points and 9.0 rebounds before he sat out of Monday’s game with a heel injury.

Cousins averaged 20.8 points and 10.7 rebounds for his career since being drafted by the Kings with the No. 5 pick in the 2010 draft.

DeMarcus Cousins was once regarded as one of the best big-men in the league while he was with the Sacramento Kings. He moved on from the Kings and joined his college teammate Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans in 2017. He suffered an achilles injury and denied a massive contract to resign with the Pelicans to try to get an NBA Finals ring with the Golden State Warriors. He signed with the Warriors in the summer of 2018 for drastically less money, $5.3 million for one year. After him and the Warriors failed to win a title, and after suffering even more injuries with them, NBA analysts believe nobody wants him now.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW 

“There’s not a market for [DeMarcus Cousins],” Adrian Wojnarowski said, according to an ESPN broadcast. “I think he hoped that some big market teams would strike out, they’d have cap space and he could get a one-year, $12M, $15M, $18M, $20 million deal. That’s not happening. The mid-level exception he got in Golden State last year? I don’t think that’s there.”

https://twitter.com/StanfordSteve82/status/1145941710352134144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1145941710352134144&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsports.yahoo.com%2Freport-theres-not-a-market-for-de-marcus-cousins-030843966.html

“I really enjoyed it,” Cousins said about his tenure with the Warriors, according to CBS Sports.”I’m open, so we’ll see what happens. I don’t know… Like I said, I’m open and I’ll make the best decision for myself and my family, and we’ll see what happens. We’ll see what way the wind blows.”

https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1146440697601507328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1146440697601507328%7Ctwgr%5E393039363b74776565745f6d65646961&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsports.yahoo.com%2Fdemarcus-cousins-still-available-no-130256640.html

Cousins has recently changed agents in hopes of getting a new contract with a team. Organizations have shied away from the former all-star due to his injury history and reputation of being a poor teammate in the locker room. He played just 30 games for the Warriors last season, averaging 16.3 points a game with 8.4 rebounds.

Cousins may have to settle for a minimum contract if things continue to play out this way. His best option would be to sign a one-year contract and revitalize his reputation both on and off the court in order to earn the kind of money he used to be making.  According to Yahoo Sports, he is rumored to join his old college teammate again, Davis, who is now on the Los Angeles Lakers with LeBron James.

If there is one thing going for Cousins, he certainly won’t be out of the league come next season. He is in his prime years in the NBA (28-years-old) and has proven he can be dominate down low in flashes during the playoffs.

The Golden State Warriors may have had a bigger loss than the 31-point lead they blew in Monday night’s Game 2 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, which tied up the first-round playoff series 1-1.

They’re now facing the chance that All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins may have suffered a torn left quad. They’re uncertain but figure it’s likely. Cousins reportedly underwent an MRI on Tuesday.

Cousins Injures Quad Vs. Clippers

He’s expected to miss the rest of the postseason but some say there’s a slight hope that “Boogie” could return if the Warriors reach the NBA Finals. Golden State will hope that their fifth All-Star only suffered a quad strain but there’s evidence that the injury is serious. In fact, Charles Barkley compared it to his career-ending quad injury in 1999.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW 

“There’s a pretty significant quad injury,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after the game. “We’ll get an MRI, but he’s going to be out for – I’ll just say a while because I think it’s unclear right now how long he’ll be out. It’s significant.”

Cousins missed the entirety of the playoffs last year and almost sat out a full 365 days following a torn left Achilles he suffered while with the New Orleans Pelicans. The former Kentucky star hoped that a bounce-back season in the Bay Area would catapult his career earnings after signing a one-year deal.

“It’s tough, for sure,” Warriors guard Steph Curry said. “You feel for him considering what he’s been through this last year. This is a big stage, the playoffs. He’s been looking forward to this. I don’t know the extent of the injury at this point. Hope he gets back sooner than later. Just man-to-man in terms of him, what he’s been through, it’s tough for sure. There’s no sugarcoating it at all. You hate seeing that opportunity again on this big stage taken away from him like that.”

With the absence of Cousins, the Warriors will turn to Andrew Bogut or Draymond Green to lock up the center position as they had done previously.

Around the NBA, fans, players, and executives sent out their prayers and reactions to the news about Cousins. Here are a few:

Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins was hit with a technical foul in the fourth quarter of Monday night’s game against Charlotte for tossing a shoe off the court.

Warriors’ Cousins Tosses Shoe Vs. Hornets

The Kentucky product is known for his aggression and racking up techs, but the former seems a lot more warranted than the latter in this situation.

With 4 minutes and 51 seconds left in the game, Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lamb‘s shoe popped off near the free throw line. Cousins reached down from the hazard and tossed it off the court, seemingly so nobody would trip over it and get injured. Official Brian Forte blew a whistle and then Cousins, who missed nearly a year after tearing his Achilles tendon while on the New Orleans Pelicans, went to plead his case.

“Next time I’ll just step on the shoe and roll my ankle, break it, tear an Achilles,” Cousins said after the game. “Just leave it out there next time. I guess that’s what they want. I’ll keep that in mind.”

The NBA, known for player empowerment, shot down a player trying to remove a hazard while five All-Stars — Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Kemba Walker and Cousins himself —, were on the court. This wasn’t a threat or an attempt to hurt anyone, it was a safety precaution. Imagine if one of those players had rolled their ankle?

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

Green stood by his teammate but also said that besides that call the refs were spot on. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that,” Green said. “But that’s crazy. It’s sitting in the middle of the floor. I don’t know. We have all these rules for player safety. You can barely contest a shot without getting a foul, but you’re supposed to leave a shoe sitting there. It’s just kind of crazy to me, but it is what it is. I thought Brian Forte reffed a great game tonight, so that’s one call that’s a little questionable. But he was spot on with some calls, so I thought he reffed a great game.”

Though frustrated with the call, Cousins admitted that he was happy to play a season-high 31 minutes after being capped at 25 prior to the All-Star Game. He also had a season-high 24 points on top of 11 rebounds and three blocks.

“This was the happiest he’s looked,” Coach Steve Kerr said about Cousins’ play. “He looked the most comfortable tonight. And he made a couple moves around the hoop where he showed great agility — this is the best he’s looked.”

“I’m more happy about that than the actual game,” Cousins said. “I made sure to give Steve a big hug after this.”

The Los Angeles Lakers brought on one of the NBA’s top players on Friday when they signed LeBron James, but now they are reportedly interested in another veteran: DeMarcus Cousins. 

Free-agent DeMarcus Cousins Meeting With Pelicans, Lakers

The 27-year-old free-agent center played for the New Orleans Pelicans — who are also pursuing Cousins — last season after seven years with the Sacramento Kings.

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James has been rumored to be part of a possible “superteam” with the Lakers that could also include players like Cousins or Kawhi Leonard. 

In May, Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said his team would be prepared to do almost everything necessary to retain Cousins.

“There’s not one single person, player, coach or in the basketball ops department or ownership that doesn’t want him back,” Gentry told reporters at the time.

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Last month, Cousins — a four-time All-Star — also told ESPN that he would consider rejoining the Pelicans, although in the end he really hopes to play for a franchise that’s “ready to contend.”

This is the first time in his career that Cousins, a former first-round draft pick out of Kentucky, is becoming an unrestricted free agent.

In a move that surprised dozens of NBA insiders and fans, the Sacramento Kings confirmed Monday that they traded DeMarcus Cousins and Omri Casspi to the New Orleans Pelicans for Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway and two 2017 draft picks (one first-round, one second-round).

DeMarcus Cousins Traded to Pelicans For Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway

Kings general manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Vlade Divac explained the decision in a statement:

“It was time for a change and I decided this was the best direction for the organization, said Divac. “Winning begins with culture and character matters. With the upcoming draft class set to be one of the strongest in a decade, this trade will allow us to build the depth needed for a talented and developing roster moving forward. We thank DeMarcus for his contributions and wish him all the best in New Orleans. The fans in Sacramento are the best in the world and we are all committed to building a team that will continue to make Sacramento proud.”

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports’ The Vertical first reported the swap:

Divac also announced that the Kings have waived forward Matt Barnes, a 14-year NBA veteran.

Wojnarowski also explained on Twitter how Cousins’ move to New Orleans could affect the credibility of Sacramento’s front office, given Divac’s repeated insistence that he would never trade Cousins:

Cousins’ trade before 2018, when he was set to become a free agent, means the Kings will at least receive top-pick NBA rookies in return for one of the best players in the league before he potentially hits the open market.

The 26-year-old power forward, who has been with Sacramento since he was drafted fifth overall in 2010 after playing one year at Kentucky, reportedly did not want to be traded– at least not yet– as he was one of the few NBA players eligible for what’s known as a Designated Player Extension (DPE). This means Cousins could have signed a five-year, $209 million extension this summer and added that to the one year remaining on his contract that would have locked him in through 2023.

However, that extension was only possible with the Kings. Under the new CBA (collective bargaining agreement) rules, Cousins would not have been able to get that same deal with the Pelicans or with any other team. If he were to sign a max extension with New Orleans this summer, it would be for five years and $180 million. Therefore, the trade might cost him approximately $30 million.

We will surely soon see whether Cousins truly benefits the Pelicans.

SACRAMENTO, CA – OCTOBER 30: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers and DeMarcus Cousins #15 of the Sacramento Kings go for a loose ball at Sleep Train Arena on October 30, 2015 in Sacramento, California.

The New York City Police Department is seeking to speak with Sacramento Kings forward Matt Barnes regarding an alleged assault at a New York nightclub Monday morning, according to a police spokesperson.

Kings’ Matt Barnes Accused Of Choking Woman At NYC Nightclub

Police stated the alleged assault, which reportedly involved Barnes choking a woman, occurred at Avenue nightclub in Manhattan following the Kings’ 106-98 loss to the New York Knicks on Sunday night.

The spokesperson didn’t provide any details of the incident or the investigation, although TMZ reported the assault involved a man choking a woman.

A representative for Barnes told TMZ that the player was defending himself against a violent group during the alleged altercation.

Barnes also posted the following message on Instagram Monday afternoon: “There’s always two sides to a story. The side the media consistently tries to paint of me…And what actually happened! Don’t believe everything you read.”

The Kings also released a statement on the incident:

“We have clear standards of conduct and behavior expected of the entire Kings organization – on and off the court. We are working with all parties involved to gather information in order to take any appropriate next steps.”

The rep told TMZ Sports that it all began when Kings center DeMarcus Cousins, who was also at the nightclub at the time of the incident, accidentally bumped a woman sitting at a booth next to the one occupied by Barnes and Cousins at the club and that several men who were with the woman attempted to get physical with Barnes. Cousins reportedly jumped into the fray to help defend his teammate before the police were called. Barnes claims he has taken photos of the injuries he sustained during the altercation to prove his side of the story, and attorney Alex Spiro, who is representing both players, said: “We do not believe a crime was committed and are hopeful no charges will be pressed.”

Spiro added that they are “cooperating fully with the authorities.”

Teams typically fly to the site of their next game immediately following road games, but the Kings next play in Dallas on Wednesday, so the schedule didn’t force them to leave New York on Sunday night.

Barnes played 17 minutes and recorded 2 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist for Sacramento during the Kings’  loss on Sunday. The 13-year veteran, who has incurred several disciplinary fines in his career, is averaging 7.5 points and 5.0 rebounds for the Kings (7-13) this season.

One of Barnes’ recent suspensions was a two-game ban in October 2015 following an altercation with then-Knicks coach Derek Fisher. The altercation occurred at the home of Gloria Govan, Barnes’ estranged wife, in Los Angeles. Barnes was suspended after a league investigation.

WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 28: Matt Barnes #22 of the Sacramento Kings dribbles the ball in front of Jason Smith #14 of the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center on November 28, 2016 in Washington, DC.

Three games into the Team USA men’s basketball exhibition schedule and head coach Mike Krzyzewski already feels the need to squelch the team’s enthusiasm.

To Krzyzewski’s defense it was the second game against Team China where Team USA got a technical foul in the fourth quarter with less than three minutes in the game for celebrating too early for a 360 dunk that guard DeMar DeRozan missed. The refs are a little too sensitive.

The closest game the team has had thus far is against Argentina, and Team USA won by 37 points 111 – 74. After DeRozan’s dunk, Team USA guard Klay Thompson hit a deep three-pointer causing excitement on the bench. Krzyzewski motioned to the team to calm down in hopes they would not receive a second technical foul.

According to ESPN Krzyzewski talked about the issue at the post-game presser. He wants his team to have fun, but show more respect for the opposing teams, especially on an international stage.

Team USA center DeMarcus Cousins led all scorers with 21 points and 11 rebounds, Carmelo Anthony chipped in 20 points. Four Team USA players scored in double figures and the entire roster got on the stat sheet.

The high scorer for Team China was center Zhou Qi with 13 points.

Team USA has two more exhibition games before Rio against Venezuela and Nigeria. USA's next game will be against Venezuela July 29 at 8 pm CDT. 

Lebron James has added his name to a lengthy list of athletes who will not be participating in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“I could use the rest,” James told Cleveland.com Thursday while he and the rest of the Cleveland Cavaliers roster celebrate overcoming a 3-1 deficit to win the NBA Championship over the Golden State Warriors.

There was some positive news for USA Basketball’s roster this week: Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant vowed to participate in the Rio games, which are slated to begin August 5.

Anthony is seeking to become the first player in the history of USA Men’s Basketball to win three gold medals.

Durant would certainly help him achieve that goal.

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The two headliners are joined by names not quite as well-known.

The motley crew that have committed to Rio includes Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, Bulls guard Jimmy Butler, Warriors forward Klay Thompson and Raptors guards Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan.

Pacers forward Paul George, Warriors forward Draymond Green and Kings big man DeMarcus Cousins have all committed to play in Rio as well, according to The Undefeated.

Accounting for all of those players, assuming the reports of their commitments are accurate, that leaves two roster spots open on the 12-man roster.

Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving is rumored to be mulling over the decision as he continues to bask in the glory of the Cavs magical run to the title.

The Sacramento Kings have suspended center DeMarcus Cousins for one game “for conduct detrimental to the team.” Cousins will miss the Kings’ NBA game against the Orlando Magic on Friday night.

Kings Suspend DeMarcus Cousins

The center, an NBA All-Star for two straight seasons, appeared to be shouting and gesturing at Kings coach George Karl during a timeout in Sacramento’s 120-111 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.

Vlade Divac, Sacramento’s general manager, called Cousins “a good kid” and said “I hate doing this” in announcing his suspension.

“Obviously, we try to do our best to send a message that we can’t tolerate some stuff as an organization,” Divac said on Thursday. “He went a little far, and we have to do things to be on the same page. I think DeMarcus is doing very well this year. He is playing very hard. This is something where he was emotionally overwhelmed and did something that he shouldn’t do. … I don’t blame him for the emotions he had, but it’s the wrong thing to do.”

This is not Cousins’ first career suspension. The 25-year-old center and power forward has been suspended seven times for eight games previously throughout his career: five times by the NBA and twice by the Kings.

Cousins logged 29 points and 11 rebounds against the Cavs on Wednesday, but also earned his 15th technical foul this season.

Cousins is averaging 27.4 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game this season. He ranks fourth in the NBA in scoring and fifth in rebounding.

SACRAMENTO, CA – OCTOBER 30: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers and DeMarcus Cousins #15 of the Sacramento Kings go for a loose ball at Sleep Train Arena on October 30, 2015 in Sacramento, California.

As part of the NBA’s recognition of the Chinese Lunar New Year, the Sacramento Kings printed a series of “Year of the Monkey” t-shirts. However, the team was forced to remove the shirts from the stands before Monday night’s home game at Sleep Train Arena after their star center DeMarcus Cousins reportedly voiced his disapproval, according to Milwaukee Bucks analyst Marques Johnson.

Kings Pull ‘Year Of The Monkey’ Tees After DeMarcus Cousins Complains

The Chinese Red Monkey New Year begins on Feb. 8, 2016 and ends on Jan. 27, 2017. Cousins apparently took issue with the fact that the shirts were being showcased on the first day of Black History Month. He did not play in Monday’s game against the Bucks, which the Kings won 111-104, due to a sprained left ankle. Rudy Gay led the Kings with 32 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, thus helping Sacramento snap a five-game losing streak.

The N.B.A. has celebrated the Lunar New Year before as part of its community engagement programs. In 2015, it partook  in the Year of the Goat with activities that included prizes, performances and special foods to celebrate the diversity of the league’s fan base.

PHOTO: SACRAMENTO, CA – OCTOBER 30: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers and DeMarcus Cousins #15 of the Sacramento Kings go for a loose ball at Sleep Train Arena on October 30, 2015 in Sacramento, California.

Last week, Sacramento Kings head coach George Karl called DeMarcus Cousins the best center in the NBA. The big man backed up that claim Monday night, scoring 56 points as the Kings fell in double overtime to the Charlotte Hornets.

Cousins could have finished with an even more impressive total if he didn’t foul out early in the second overtime. In addition to scoring, he pulled down 12 rebounds. “He’s so gifted and talented. Cousins is one of the best big men I’ve ever played against,” Charlotte guard Kemba Walker said. “He’s pretty unstoppable.”

His individual performance did not make the loss any easier for Cousins to swallow, though. “It was a tough loss. I was just sitting here (in the locker room) thinking how a lot of the plays early on could have changed the game,” he said. “But I think through all of the mistakes, we all left it on the floor. You hate to lose games like this.”

Charlotte’s answer to Cousins was Troy Daniels, who buried eight three-pointers on his way to a career-high 28 points. One of those threes came in the final seconds of the game, as VCU alum put the Hornets ahead for good.

“The play was for me. I was just thinking, go for the win. I knew the guys were tired,” he said. “I think we only had like seven guys (after three fouled out). We didn’t have any bigs, so I just trusted myself and shot the ball.”

Photo: Sacramento Kings’ DeMarcus Cousins

DeMarcus Cousins has butted heads with George Karl in the past, but the coach is now firmly in the center’s corner. On Wednesday night, Karl not only supported Cousins’ All-Star bid, but called him the best center in the league.

“DeMarcus has shown at a high, high level that he’s an All-Star,” Karl told reporters after Cousins’ 36 points and 16 rebounds against the Lakers. “Is there a better center playing basketball right now in the NBA? I don’t think there is.

“He’s helped us at both ends of the court,” the coach continued. “I don’t know anybody that’s playing at this level right now, and I hope the NBA recognizes it and gives him an opportunity to play in Toronto [at the All-Star Game].”

There’s no question that Cousins has been a key part of the Kings’ turnaround. Since 2016 began, he’s scored at least 29 points in eight of their nine games. Sacramento now sits in the eight spot in the west after starting the season 1-7.

“That’s not even a question,” Cousins said when he was asked if he was the best center around. “It’s not even about that. I feel I can still improve in so many ways. I feel I can improve a lot on the defensive end. … I feel like I can make the pass more than I have. Still a lot of areas I need to improve. It’s not about that. It’s about playing the right way and helping this team get to the next level.”

Photo: Tiago Splitter #11 of the Atlanta Hawks drives against DeMarcus Cousins #15 of the Sacramento Kings at Philips Arena on November 18, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins suffered a back injury following Monday night’s game against the Charlotte Hornets.

Cousins played for a total of 31 minutes, scored 30 points and snagged 11 rebounds, but was removed from the game after feeling back stiffness. James Ham of CSNBayArea.com confirmed the player would not return

This marks just one out of a string of injuries Cousins has suffered over the past year. He dealt with a series of lower leg injuries, as well as a strained Achilles tendon at the start of this season. This injury, however, did not seem to diminish his ability to play as much. Going into Monday night’s game, Cousins nailed 38.9 percent of his 36 three-point attempts.

“I think it’s explosive, and it also helps your spacing,” Kings head coach George Karl said of Cousins’ three-point shooting in October, according to the Sacramento Bee‘s Jason Jones. “It allows the ball freedom to go where it wants to go.”

Should Cousins be forced to stay out for a longer period of time, rookie Willie Cauley-Stein and veteran Kosta Koufos will probably be called upon to step up for him and help the Kings defense remain stable. The Kings will next face off against the Bucks at BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee on Wednesday night.

PHOTO: SACRAMENTO, CA – OCTOBER 30: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers and DeMarcus Cousins #15 of the Sacramento Kings go for a loose ball at Sleep Train Arena on October 30, 2015 in Sacramento, California.

Despite many suitors, the Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly pursuing the Kings’ DeMarcus Cousins, according to ESPN’s sources.

Lakers Pursuing Kings’ DeMarcus Cousins

Rumors about DeMarcus Cousins’ future in Sacramento have been rampant. There have been reports that plenty of teams, including the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets, were the frontrunners to get the 24-year-old center. However, the Lakers now top this list, as ESPN’s sources claimed that the team has been feverishly pursuing a trade.

The deal would be a three-team swap between the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings, which would apparently leave Cousins a Laker and Sacramento would fill the void with the Magic’s Nikola Vucevic. However, there are a lot of moving parts to this deal, as all three teams have top ten picks in the draft.

First, the Lakers would not be able to trade their first round pick until after the selection: NBA rules state that you cannot dish out consecutive first round picks before the draft and L.A. already owes Philadelphia their 2016 first-rounder. On top of this, the Magic would need to be given a lot to depart with Vucevic, who averaged 19.3 PPG in 2014-15. And finally, Kings VP Vlade Divac vehemently denied trade rumors, as he told The Sacramento Bee that he does not plan on getting rid of Cousins.

“[A Cousins trade] is not happening,” Divac said. “But I would love to do something — a smaller move — before the draft. We have a lot of changes to make.” Only time will tell if a trade will happen, but the Lakers are not giving up hope for the time being.

During the 2014-15 season, Cousins averaged 24.1 PPG, 1.7 BPG, 3.6 APG and 12.7 RPG, which were all career highs.

Well, this is not something you see everyday: Sacramento King’s DeMarcus Cousins has trolled reporter Clay Travis about a tweet from five years ago. In the tweet, Travis wrote, “There is a 100% chance that DeMarcus Cousins is arrested for something in the next five years. 100%. Write it in stone.”

Well it appears that Mr. Travis’ prediction has not come true: as today is the five year anniversary of that tweet and Cousins wanted to let the reporter and the world know about that false statement.

And Clay Travis did own up to the tweet: “Funny and well played. $5K to your charity of choice. Let me know where to send it.” But this did not stop Twitter from blowing up, as he is currently trending.

https://twitter.com/patmuldowney/status/561192753225138177

So of course since it is trending, the wonderful paradoxical moral police on Twitter went absolutely insane and tweeted at the Fox Sports 1 personality. Travis, who has never been shy of controversy, in response has retweeted the best of the best insults. And the following ones are the nicer ones in that group, yet they are still NSFW.

https://twitter.com/RobertwWilliam/status/561200915017781248

And again, these are the nicer insults as his Twitter page is now littered with some very troubling hate. Yes, what Clay said was wrong, but using vulgar language or wishing death on his family is not going to change that.