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[man] What--what's the ideal
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free agency destination for you?
Ideal?
Somewhere I'd be appreciated,
and, um, you know,
a contender.
♪ epic music ♪
♪♪♪
[man] Oh, boy!
[man] Oh!
I mean, he's hurt. Hurt!
[man] Oh!
♪♪♪
♪ tense music ♪
♪♪♪
[man] Oh, and he just got hurt.
DeMarcus Cousins is injured at the other end.
He's holding that lower leg area
in the area of his Achilles.
[buzzer blares]
[man] Cousins' night is over.
♪♪♪
No, this shit don't feel right.
[man] Coming in.
♪♪♪
[woman] We've seen torn Achilles
end NBA players' career.
Boogie Cousins, of course,
vowing that will not be him.
Just a crushing, crushing blow
for New Orleans and for Boogie,
who was having such a season.
♪♪♪
[DeMarcus] So, um...
...been a rough--a rough night.
[chuckles]
Still?
These two fingers.
Mm-hmm.
All the way underneath.
If I tap here, do you feel it
shoot down to your fingers?
Nothing?
It's just like--
it's like my arm full of beads.
- Yeah. - [DeMarcus] Um...
You know, you never...
...well, just sit around in life
and think, like,
"What if I couldn't walk?"
It just, you know, kind of--
kind of, all of a sudden, happens, you know, and...
you're just so used to, you know,
just simple things, like waking up at--
in the middle of the night and going to the restroom.
You know, I wake up expecting to just,
you know, get out of bed and go to the restroom, and...
look down, realize I got a cast on my foot.
Now these are the cards I was dealt, and...
I just gotta push through.
No, you know I'm chilling,
but I'm just going through the motions, baby.
- You doing all right? - Yeah, I'm all right.
I done seen better days, but I done had worse.
- That's--exactly. Exactly. - You feel?
Where AD go?
Hold on. Here he is.
You--get that. Here he is.
Depends on what the whole team says.
Y'all ain't playing?
Have to maintain the roof.
They might as well cancel the season, then.
- The season? - Hell yeah.
[laughs]
[man] Overall, 28 and 23
and staying right in the thick of things
in the western conference playoff race.
[cheering over TV]
[man] Special guest...
[indistinct TV chatter]
[echoing chatter, shoes squeaking on court]
[basketball bouncing]
[DeMarcus] I was the tallest guy in the school,
like, out of all the-- high school, middle school--
I was the tallest guy in the school,
so I was automatically kind of, you know, targeted.
You know, I got a lot of, you know, backlash
and picked on-- you know, typical school shit.
My mom, she wanted me to, you know, be into sports
and stuff like that, so, you know,
we tried out basketball.
[whistle blows]
I started out with my, uh--
the guy that I consider like a father figure to me,
a guy named Danny Pritchett.
[Danny] I'm Danny Pritchett,
Coach Danny Pritchett.
I'm from Birmingham, Alabama.
I coached, um, a AAU program
called the Birmingham Storm.
I had a friend of mine's that recruited for me,
and, uh, he found a kid at Erwin High School.
He said, "Danny, I want you to meet this kid."
I said, "Well, I need some bigs."
He said, "Well, he's pretty big.
Uh, think he's about 6'6", 6'7"."
I'm like, "Man, there's nobody in Alabama 6'7", 6'7"."
Coach Danny fell in love with him
as soon as he got out the car.
And when she stood out the car,
she's a tall lady herself.
DeMarcus stood out.
Seemed like he'd never stop standing.
I said, "Oh, my God," you know, "I won the lottery."
He was a big kid
that I didn't think had any talent.
[laughs]
He missed all his layups.
He didn't just develop his basketball skills.
He also was there to teach the boys
what it was to be the best person you could be,
and that's how their relationship started.
[Danny] I knew that--
um, that he was gonna be something special.
That really basically started
who is DeMarcus Cousins.
[DeMarcus] I was with him every single day.
Every single day.
Even the days I didn't want to,
this guy had me in the gym.
♪ intense music ♪
[Danny] We worked for hours, ball handling, passing,
shooting, and I watched his skill level get better.
He grew.
[DeMarcus] By my eighth grade year,
I was playing junior varsity.
♪♪♪
[Danny] Something happened in the ninth grade.
He started playing so well,
he was playing better than the 12th-graders,
and I knew then that he was special.
He was way above everyone else.
[DeMarcus] I was all on the front of newspapers.
I'm number one in the country,
and it's, just, like, all hell after that.
[Isaiah] If you didn't know who he was, he was just,
like, a dominant force that--
something you really haven't seen before at that age.
[Danny] To see this kid now
getting ready to go play college ball--
to me, that was amazing.
You know, that's where I really took
that next step forward.
From that day forward, he, like, didn't look back.
He committed to University of Kentucky,
and then it was all she wrote after that.
[man] Buzzer.
[man] Oh!
He was an amazing player. Amazing player.
The stuff he does on the court
is beyond what you see from a big.
They were just dominant. They had a-a great team,
but he was-- he was a man among boys.
I was just ahead of the curve.
I had a vision.
[DeMarcus] You know, everything he was saying,
it was real to me.
What we were was a really talented
athletic team with size.
Everybody would just talk about DeMarcus,
and that whole class.
- [man] And Bledsoe-- - [John] They rebounded.
They blocked shots.
They were unbelievable teammates.
They scored. They won.
[DeMarcus] Felt like we were on top of the world,
playing basketball on the biggest stage.
♪♪♪
That's probably the most fun I've ever had.
[man] With the fifth pick in the 2010 NBA draft,
the Sacramento Kings select
DeMarcus Cousins
from the University of Kentucky.
[cheers and applause]
[saw buzzing]
Trust me.
All you gotta do is just trust me.
- I feel like you was... - Turn this way.
...way too excited to do that.
- [laughs] No. - [woman] It's still attached.
[man] She's having way too much fun.
I can feel it!
What's up, man?
What's up, my boy?
- What's up, my boy? - Chilling.
I can't treat you any way but the right way.
You know that. You--we both know that.
- Mm-hmm. - There's only--
there's only one way to do this, right?
We gotta do it the right way. You had a,
you know, serious injury here.
This is a serious injury,
so we gotta protect it in the cast.
I'm gonna see you back in two weeks.
We'll change it again.
[man] Do you like it with her?
[Richard] Well, I think any time you see an athlete,
like, a pro athlete like DeMarcus,
initially, they're very, obviously, upset.
They're very depressed.
My job as part of the team
is to let him go through that process,
but after a certain time, what I always say
to my athletes: "Now that's done,
you have to get ready to get well."
So my first time trying to walk,
will I be able to do it just regular, or--
Well, we're first gonna-- we'll probably have you walk
first in the cast to get used to it,
and then we'll get you into the boot,
the transition kind of period.
Is this the walking cast? I ain't there yet.
No, not yet. Two--two more weeks.
- Two more weeks? - [man] What about next week?
Yeah. Nope on next week. Two--we'll change in two weeks.
[man] Hey, now, We're getting there.
So here's the-- here's the thing.
Get your stomach off my head, bro.
- Bro-- - Oh, my bad, bro.
It ain't that much space in here.
You...
Man, don't you ever fucking...
Bro, I'm trying to comfort you, okay?
It ain't no comfort.
You got something in your beard.
You the one look uncomfortable with that little-ass shirt on.
[chuckles]
You got something--
That nigga lose 2 pounds.
[laughs] He go down a whole shirt size.
[man sighs]
It wasn't time yet.
[laughs]
[indistinct chatter]
[laughs] Mama!
♪ somber music ♪
♪♪♪
[Drew] Getting set up here at the house.
We got no time to waste-- even with a cast on,
even with him being immobilized,
we still gotta get some work done.
- [DeMarcus] Ugh. - [Drew] Day one, man.
There's gonna be a lot of day ones.
[DeMarcus] Day one of no cast.
Day one of trying to walk.
Day one of trying to run.
Day one of trying to hoop.
Ah.
♪♪♪
[Drew] We want to get as much productivity
and calories burned as we can,
uh, despite not being able to move,
so it's a mental challenge.
We're-we're fighting mental battles every day
and climbing mental mountains,
um, so strengthening the upper body and the core
is just as important as anything we'll do mentally.
- Okay, put those down. - [loud clang]
Oh, shit.
[Drew] What's happening?
Okay, shake.
[DeMarcus] I'm, like, honestly ready to go take a nap.
I was supposed to get it this year, man.
Damn.
I was getting all-NBA this year, man.
[Drew] Means you can do it next year.
Wherever you're at.
[man] The Sacramento Kings select DeMarcus Cousins
from the University of Kentucky.
[John] I knew he was ready physically, basketball-wise.
I thought he could be a centerpiece
of a--of an NBA team.
I think Sacramento instantly took to DeMarcus,
and they thought DeMarcus was, you know,
the next coming of Chris Webber,
and-and possibly better.
[man] Ladies and gentlemen,
get up out of your seats!
♪ dramatic music ♪
[man] Turn the sprinkler systems on.
DeMarcus Cousins is on fire!
I've never seen anything like it.
Just as agile as a--
you know, as a wing or a power forward
and still able to do all the things
that those guys do as well.
[man] What a catch and finish! That's unbelievable!
[Matt] Running the pick and roll himself,
shooting threes like there wasn't anything
that he couldn't do-- it was very impressive.
[man] How many 6'11", 270s can do that?
[Steve] To go at that size and strength,
it's a pretty lethal combination.
Just throw him the ball. Get out of the way.
[Michael] Here's a big guy that had
incredible ball-handling skills,
had the vision
and play-making ability of a guard...
He's--he was one of those guys who--
that you want to look out for on the court.
The talent that he has
is top five just talent in our league.
[Eric] And he can dribble the ball, shoot, pass--
pretty much do anything he wants.
[man] Oh, Cousins, with authority!
He's just an outrageous talent. I-it's crazy,
the package of skills that fall into that size body.
[Michael] When I got the job in Sacramento,
I wanted to get to know DeMarcus.
[Isaiah] I think the best coach he had
was obviously Mike Malone,
'cause from day one, he respected him.
[Michael] There were days where
we butted heads, and I went after him.
He brought the best out of each guy on the team.
[Michael] He wanted that coaching,
he wanted that discipline, and I think that's why,
when I got there in that first full year,
DeMarcus just took off.
[man] He slams in the face of Lopez!
[Michael] We had a-a confidence,
a-a swagger about us in year two.
We're defending. We have an identity.
Our guys have bought in.
Our fans were out. They were supportive.
They finally had a team that they believed in
and could be proud of,
and it was all cut so short.
[Isaiah] And then they fired Mike Malone, which--
it made no sense, because for the first time in years,
it seemed like they were going in the right direction.
That coaching match seemed to work, and all of a sudden,
the franchise fires him earlier in the season
against sort of the feelings of their best player.
[woman] Kings firing, of course,
head coach Michael Malone last night, the most--
well, the move definitely a surprise
for everyone involved.
The Kings are currently 11 and 13 on the season.
They've lost...
[man] DeMarcus, were you surprised
by the timing of the decision?
[DeMarcus] I mean, who wasn't?
Um, I think it surprised everybody.
[Rachel] Boogie missed a couple games
because he had viral meningitis
and they end up getting rid of a coach
that he had connected with so much.
My biggest regret when I look back
upon my time in Sacramento is,
I'll often wonder what would've happened.
Mike Malone was the guy
that he felt, like, understood him,
that he could rely on what he was gonna say,
that he was gonna be there the next day.
That's what he appreciated so much about Coach Cal.
That's what we have seen worked
with DeMarcus throughout his life,
which works with so many players.
All I know, at the end of the day,
Mike Malone shouldn't have been fired,
and, I mean,
to say we would have won the championship,
who the hell knows, but...
[laughs]
I-it was tough.
It was tough.
Where my phone at?
[man] I don't know.
That shit wore my ass out.
Am I at checkmate?
- You moved it! - What are you talking about?
- I didn't move my king. - You moved your pawn.
- [man laughs] - Yeah.
Just sit around in the boot,
and play chess and eat apples and shit.
Feel me? Pears!
You moved your pawn!
[man] You still--
You moved your pawn. You took that!
You put yourself in checkmate. I was right here.
You put yourself in there. You lost.
That's fine.
I beat you twice yesterday.
[Andrew] I beat you twice the day before.
So how the hell are we two and two
if I just beat your ass now?
[Andrew] Because that equals four games.
No, that equals five, dumbass.
[Andrew] Two and two. We haven't played five games.
- What was this game? - Our second game.
I beat you twice yesterday!
[Andrew] No, you didn't. I didn't play chess yesterday.
Oh, that was Deezy? My bad.
We ain't do shit today!
Same shit!
W-why we keep doing this fucking interview?
I ain't doing shit!
Guess what I'ma do tomorrow. Shit!
Nothing! The next day, nothing!
Fuck.
[man] How about the day after that, though?
Probably shit! Nothing!
Nothing.
But the day after that, I go to the doctor again.
- So I'm excited. - [laughter]
How you doing today?
[doctor] All right. Yourself?
Great, I'm great.
At one point, I was one of the best dunkers
in the country.
- [man] Really? - At one point.
In, like, seventh grade, I was the only one doing it.
[laughs]
[man] You could dunk in the seventh grade?
Yeah. Or eighth.
Eighth.
Yeah, so this was the right--
on the chart it's a little confused, but--
Gonna frame that boot when you're done with it?
- I'm gonna burn that bitch. - [man] Burn it. There you go.
Should we all come over and have a ceremony?
No, I need a moment alone.
- You need a moment alone? - A moment alone.
I'ma destroy them crutches.
[indistinct chatter]
I'm taking so much anger.
You feeling a little better about this now?
- Not really. - Okay, well, that's all right.
I mean, I understand that-- that--
where you're coming from,
and I think you're gonna see a bunch of progress
in the next two to four weeks, all right?
I think we've protected it enough to give it
plenty of time to heal.
Now we can do more with your rehab.
Okay.
You're gonna get there, and you're gonna be fine.
- I got you. - You know.
I-it sucks to be injured.
There's no question about it.
You know, it shouldn't be something like this,
go through all this hard work,
but it'll be worth it in the end...
♪ somber music ♪
I just think I got a lot built up inside of me.
[man] And that's it for Cousins.
[announcer] Oh, no! Boogie...
[DeMarcus] Get the fuck out of here, bro!
Hell no!
The environment was just a revolving door around him,
just from the coaches, the players...
[Michael] DeMarcus needs stability.
When you have six coaches in seven years,
uh, h-how can you fault the player
for not being their best?
[man] So that's a technical foul on DeMarcus Cousins.
[man] He is tossed-- he is now
up to 15 technical fouls on the season.
Sometimes, your emotions take control,
and we all fall victim to that as basketball players.
[man] Ought to be out of the game.
[man] I think he will be.
And I would just see him score 50 points
but then cuss a player out, cuss his teammate out,
or cuss a coach out, or get kicked out of the game.
[man] What do you do with a player like this, Tom?
- [Tom] I-I'd trade him. - [laughs]
There was tension throughout the franchise,
and all these expectations are on Boogie at that point,
of being, like, here we go, we got our new Chris Webber.
He's gonna turn it all around. That's a lot.
And I don't think he just had someone
to kind of, like, "Yo, what you're doing
is fucking all of us up, not just you."
His-his defense mechanism can--
"You-you come at me, I'm coming back at you."
[Matt] You know, with no stable footing to begin with,
you know, when you're the franchise player
making all the money, it's always your fault.
And eventually, it kind of turned into aggression.
I hope the world can see now what's really going on
out here, 'cause it's getting ridiculous.
- It's really ridiculous. - [man] We've seen this before.
- [woman] DeMarcus. - This is ridiculous, man.
[man] DeMarcus.
[man] And again and again and again.
[overlapping voices]
[voices echoing eerily]
♪ dramatic music intensifies ♪
[Richard] A lot of basketball-specific drills,
so phase four is the sport-specific stuff.
So the first three phases are hardest,
and then--of course, basketball will be hard too,
initially, but...
- Ooh. - Ooh. Yeah.
Bro, what the hell you doing?
Don't make him too sore.
Ooh!
- This muscle here... - Hell, yeah.
...is the-- is the opposite of the--
uh, the gastroc, or the calf, right?
- Uh-huh. - So if this muscle's tight...
"it, uh, inhibits this muscle working properly."
[DeMarcus] Right, right, right.
So think of these as opposites,
and you don't want this holding this back.
So I gotta make sure this is cool too.
It's gonna probably hurt a little bit, but--
Yeah.
[Limb] It'll be worth it.
Goddamn. Day 36.
[man] You stepped your shit up, huh?
[DeMarcus] Mm-hmm.
She won't lead me nowhere.
What-what are we starting on? The bench?
[man] On the bench, yeah. You can sit.
[man] She got a great coat on her.
Mm-hmm. That was good.
[man] So you got a new puppy, huh?
Yeah, I went and, you know,
I got me a little companion to cope with this--
this process with, you know? Um...
[Monique] What's that dog's name?
Queenie.
[Monique] Oh, yeah, that's right, Queenie.
♪ Queenie! ♪
She's solo riding. Look at her.
[Monique] ♪ Don't have a minute ♪
- [man] Right now. - [Monique] Show her face!
[man speaks indistinctly]
- Queenie. - [Monique] ♪ Queenie ♪
[laughs] Queenie!
When you coming to visit your grandmother?
- Never. - [Monique] Yes, you are.
[DeMarcus] My family drives me.
Uh, taking care of my-- my kids drives me.
♪ Happy birthday to you ♪
- [man] Yeah! - Mwah!
Very passionate about my family.
Um, I'm very protective over my family.
[laughter]
Look!
[woman] Real shit for you...
Dunk it.
- Here. - Getting on my nerves.
[woman] Yeah, right!
Anybody else and Daddy would've...
♪ low music ♪
♪♪♪
[Michael] Deep down inside,
all of us want to be disciplined,
all of us want to be held accountable,
because, ultimately, we know
that's gonna bring out our best selves.
To understand DeMarcus' upbringing
and how, as a freshman in high school,
he's one of the biggest kids in school,
but people forget he was still a freshman.
You look at him and say, "Wait a minute now.
This is not--this-this kid's in high school?"
People think because they're big,
they're mature.
♪ pensive music ♪
♪♪♪
[DeMarcus] I was born in Mobile, Alabama.
My mom had gotten into a relationship
at the time, and, uh,
you know, we moved to Birmingham.
Not a place with a lot of opportunity.
It forces you to kind of grow up
faster than you want to.
You know, I was a product of my environment.
♪♪♪
[Monique] When DeMarcus was born,
I was a single parent,
and, um...
from day one, he was a handful.
He was not your normal child.
He was not of normal size.
I'm tall, I'm 6'1", and his dad is 6'4",
so he got a double dose of tall.
♪♪♪
It was unique for me to see
a mother that had six kids
but was equally giving them the same amount of time.
That motivated me alone, just watching her.
[Monique] Having six,
it made the older kids grow up fast.
When, uh, the younger ones needed anything
and I had to work or whatever,
he was always that big brother, that protector.
[DeMarcus] Honestly, I never even--
like, I never even realized it
until, like, more of my adult years, like,
you know what I'm saying, the missing piece.
I didn't--I never looked at it as if, like,
"No, I don't have a father in my life."
Like, no, it was just-- it was regular.
Like, I just--I didn't really understand.
It was just something that we had to deal with.
I think it's very important
that a kid have a male figure in his life,
especially for young men, young black men.
♪ tender piano music ♪
♪♪♪
[DeMarcus] Every chance I got as a kid
to steer in the wrong direction, I did it.
♪♪♪
No, man, if it weren't for Danny, like...
there's probably no telling where I'd be.
[Monique] Our family was so blessed
to have him in our life,
because a lot of those characteristics
he passed on to DeMarcus.
[DeMarcus] You know, he helped me,
you know, find a love and passion for this game.
[Danny] I had a son that--
when I was telling you DeMarcus practiced every day,
when I couldn't take him, my son would take him,
and, um...
my son passed during that time,
and probably the worst day of my life,
and that family came over
and just gave me their heart.
When my heart was broken, they let me borrow theirs,
um, and I loved them more after that.
♪♪♪
[DeMarcus] I-I'll forever have love for you.
Forever.
[Chris] Sometimes,
when things seem the most tragic--
like, this injury is a very serious injury,
and it could be a career-ending injury
to a lot of athletes, and it has, but I think
if we look at it in a flip side,
this injury could extend your career.
Yeah, we missed--we missed this part of the season,
but we probably added on five more seasons...
- [DeMarcus] Right. - ...that you'll have.
So, yeah, the blessing in disguise.
You know, and-and I think when-when times get tough
and you feel the rehab is not progressing
as fast as you want it to, you gotta remember that.
Doc just came at me with a bunch of weird shit
that I probably would've never imagined doing,
but, you know, I was open to doing it,
and with that being said,
I can--I can feel the improvement,
so I'm on this cleanse right now.
I never thought I'd be, you know, doing a cleanse.
- [Chris] Yeah. - You know what I'm saying?
I know--I know it's gonna better me,
I know it's helping my body
in the long run, and, um,
like I said, if it weren't for Doc,
I probably wouldn't be doing it.
DeMarcus has been a great patient.
Pleasure to work with. Very compliant.
Working hard.
Always ready to do more,
um, and come back and do it again the next day.
So you've done great, man.
♪ somber music ♪
Not right now, Deezy.
♪♪♪
It don't even feel right putting a shoe on, bro.
[indistinct chatter]
Okay.
[Scott] Sit.
Sit. It's okay.
♪♪♪
You just never think about some shit like--
like, it's something you do every day, like...
Like, just walking, you never expect, like...
[Scott] You have to relearn that.
Yeah, you never expect, like,
in life that you would have to relearn how to walk
or, like,
like, almost, like, forget, like...
[Scott] But you're a big guy, right?
Right.
[Scott] I mean, that's a huge thing too.
Huge lever arms. If you were me, you'd be...
[voice fading out] A lot of weight, a lot of...
[man] For the win!
[buzzer sounds]
Yes! It's all over!
[cheers and applause]
♪♪♪
[Rachel] But we had months of speculation
of, "What were the Kings gonna do here?"
Because it wasn't just what was going on
with them that season.
It was knowing that he would be eligible
for a supermax contract in the summer.
Couple days before all-star,
you know, you start getting texts,
"DeMarcus Cousins might be available."
He might be on the block.
They might start looking at suitors for him.
Did Sacramento want to sign on for paying DeMarcus
that much money over five years?
Every day, we were hearing,
"Don't worry, you're not getting traded.
These are just rumors."
"Don't worry, you're not getting traded.
We're not trading you. You're our guy."
And at that point, what we heard
from DeMarcus publicly was,
"Hey, I don't want to go anywhere."
And then to trade him during the all-star game...
someone that was, you know, your franchise player
for seven long, tough years,
that left everything out there...
I definitely think he-he deserved
more respect than that.
Somebody would say, "You're still being paid.
What's the difference what team you play for?"
When you're traded, it rocks your world.
♪ somber music ♪
[Isaiah] All-star game, New Orleans.
Game is over.
We're doing media, um,
and then the news breaks that DeMarcus gets traded.
♪♪♪
That was... that shit was so weird.
Like, it was super unexpected.
♪♪♪
And all of a sudden, we had that crazy moment
where you see a member of the public relations staff
whispering in his ear and you realize
Boogie Cousins just got told in front of all of us
that he is getting traded.
The media guy for the Pelicans
comes and whisper in my ear,
"Anthony, congratulations on DeMarcus."
What?
But imagine if you're DeMarcus and you're sitting there.
Someone's running up on your ear and--
and describing to you that you're getting traded.
With television cameras in front of your face.
You then are kind of expected to deny the truth
of what just happened to you.
The NBA had to make a rule
because DeMarcus Cousins got traded
during the all-star break.
W-when I found out he was traded,
my heart broke for him, I felt for him.
I was pissed because I think, you know, we were playing well,
so when they traded him, not only them
but trading, you know, their best player, my friend,
I'm like, "Shit, we're about to suck now."
♪♪♪
[Michael] DeMarcus-- people don't realize it,
he's very sensitive, and I knew
how much Sacramento meant to him,
and to be told one thing
and then the complete opposite to happen
is not easy for anybody.
He was always ride-or-die for Sacramento.
He was always, "I-I want to be here.
I want to build.
I want to get to the playoffs and hopefully win
a championship for Sacramento."
♪ somber music ♪
♪♪♪
[DeMarcus] Oh, the fans were incredible.
Some, like...
that six and a half years,
seven years in Sacramento, like...
You know, outside of the--
you know, the basketball part, just...
I was expecting to spend the rest of my career there.
Like, I wanted to raise my family there.
You know what I'm saying? So, uh...
I got nothing but love for Sacramento.
Like, nothing but love.
It was incredible, like...
There was video of him, uh, with some fans
and people from the community
the night that he was leaving Sacramento
to come to New Orleans,
and the emotion that's so obvious there--
you can see it in front of you.
Um, I love this city. It never changed.
Um... [sniffs]
[man] Love you, Boogie!
- [cheers and applause] - [man] Love you, Boogie!
[applause]
♪♪♪
It's been a rough-ass year.
Trade.
And I'm walkin' out hurt, so...
it's been a trying year, to say the least.
[laughs]
[man] All right, let's see it.
[laughter]
This shit cold.
Oh!
Oh, damn!
[man] There it is.
[laughter]
This shit cold.
I don't think I can do this, my boy.
Ah! It's been--what is it?
You've been 30 seconds.
- That's it? - Yep.
[laughing]
This shit give me hiccups.
Feel like blades cutting through my body.
- Man, fuck him. - [laughter]
[DeMarcus] Man, this shit cold as hell, dawg.
[indistinct chatter]
You're almost there.
- Huh? - You're almost there.
Yeah.
[indistinct chatter]
♪♪♪
[DeMarcus] Got so caught up in just, like, the routine
of this whole, like, rehab process that...
I felt like it would kind of never end.
♪♪♪
Just the uncertainty
just kind of wrecks my-- wrecks my nerve.
♪♪♪
[Rachel] Pelicans were under a lot of pressure
when Boogie Cousins came, because they had Anthony Davis,
and nobody wants to be the franchise
that wasted Anthony Davis.
[Shams] AD needed star power help.
He needed another guy
that can partner with him for years and years to come,
and there was a lot of pressure that year on New Orleans
to--to stabilize the roster, bring in a star.
Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins,
arguably the two best big men in the NBA.
Put on the same team.
Everyone went into it with such good intentions,
and it worked.
[man singing indistinctly]
[man] DeMarcus doing a great job.
He'll go for it, and he's fouled from behind.
He came in. He everything that I expected.
DeMarcus has matured.
Not only is he making waves
around the NBA-- like, wow, who is this guy--
we've never seen him play at such a high level.
[man] Big man. Come on. Stop. Stop that.
You're not supposed to do all that at that size.
But he's also maturing and being a better teammate
and controlling his emotions and really trying to be
the best version of himself.
[man] Jameer for the three...
and Boogie hammers it off the run!
He bring the best out of me. I bring the best out of him.
For him, when he first got there,
only thing he kept saying-- "I need to go to the playoffs.
This is the time I need to go to the playoffs."
[Matt] He looked happy, you know what I mean,
and I would text him, be like--
'cause I would see him smiling and I just can tell
he had a different energy about him.
He wasn't getting technicals.
He wasn't getting ejected. Nothing.
He was controlling emotions.
It was a step in the right direction for DeMarcus.
[DeMarcus] Everything I wanted
at that moment was happening.
DeMarcus and AD were finally playing
to the level that everyone had expected, everyone hoped for.
And then he, you know, tears his Achilles.
♪ somber music ♪
♪♪♪
- [man] Cousins misses. - [man] Oh!
[man] And he just got hurt.
DeMarcus Cousins is injured at the other end.
Right there.
[DeMarcus] I knew what happened,
and in that moment,
I-I was just hoping I was,
you know, kind of waking up from a dream.
[buzzer sounds]
[man] His teammates assisting him,
and Cousins' night is over.
[DeMarcus] I just-- I didn't want to accept that
in a matter of-of seconds,
it was--you know, it was gone.
Um, I was sick to my stomach, literally,
um, for a lot of reasons.
It just, um--
it's like one of your children,
and something happens like that.
♪♪♪
For me to watch, it was painful.
I was in the box when the injury occurred.
I thought it was something minor.
Coach Gentry was down there with DeMarcus,
and he was hugging DeMarcus, and he had tears in his eyes,
so I was like, "Okay, what's going on?"
You could see immediately that something had happened.
I was concerned that it might have been his--
either his calf or his Achilles had-had ruptured,
'cause he went down so quickly and so immediately,
and I knew something was wrong.
♪♪♪
To have something like this happen
so dramatically and so suddenly,
it was very depressing
and very, very upsetting for him.
It kind of just wanted to bring you to tears,
'cause when he grabbed his ankle,
I could just see it all in his face.
It wasn't a-a face of pain, like, "This shit hurt."
It was a face of pain like--
like, "Why? Why now? Why me?"
And I seen DeMarcus get injured before,
and I would watch him go to the sideline.
If he can walk, he'll play.
But when he had to be helped off,
I knew then that it was serious.
The emotion that he plays with on the court,
it's been used against him, but there you saw it.
He literally sacrificed his body for something that--
in the grand scheme of things,
that ball goes out of bounds, so what?
Seeing DeMarcus get hurt,
the news went around really fast.
I mean, you knew what it was right when it happened.
It was just--it just sucks when things like that
happen to good people.
He was well on his way to
all-NBA first team.
He was well on his way to a supermax contract.
To this day, you always wonder,
what would the Pelicans have been
if DeMarcus was still healthy?
[ominous whooshing]
[Richard] I'm Dr. Richard Ferkel
at the Southern California Orthopedic Institute.
I've been practicing 36 years here.
This is an Achilles tendon, this is your heel bone,
and the Achilles is formed by your calf muscles,
so all muscles join to bone by tendons.
Your calf muscles merge together
and--and are joined together
on this tendon, and that's what does the work.
This usually would be
a very, very difficult injury to come back on,
because of his size.
You look at all the people that have torn their Achilles,
they don't come back very often.
I mean, this...
it's a weird injury, bro.
[man] But yeah, I read all--
I mean, I definitely put--I definitely give it its respect,
'cause, like, it's taken motherfuckers out.
Achilles tear is no joke-- like, this is an injury
that can--can kill careers.
I-I heard it all after he got hurt.
"Will never be able to come back,"
"wrecked his career."
Nowadays, I think that's an-an outdated type
of-of way of thinking of things.
Certainly, it's a difficult injury to come back.
It's a lot of recovery, a lot of rehab,
and you have to really be committed
and work incredibly hard.
He believes he can be that same player.
You know, I think that was always
the belief that he had.
[indistinct chatter]
Hey, hey!
Oh, shit. What's up?
[Anthony] It was tough.
Like, for me to see him sitting there,
knowing that we headed to the playoffs,
we in the right direction to get in the playoffs,
and he's not going to be able to be a part of it.
[indistinct chatter]
200.
- You owe me $200, though. - No, I don't.
That--those ain't count.
- Fuck, no! - Man...
200. Y'all see this, right?
200.
That's cool.
- We even. - No, uh, that's four.
- You already owe... - That's four.
You already owe me two, so we even.
No.
This for--this for you to be up two.
No, this for me to be up four.
How? You already bet the two right here.
All right, fine, I'll take $200.
I ain't tripping off that shit.
- [laughs] - [DeMarcus] Oh, man.
It was cool, man.
It was a cool feeling, being around the guys.
It definitely put me in good spirits,
and I was glad I was able to see the guys this morning.
My teammates, they-- they've let it be known
that they want--want me there.
I just can't say that about everybody.
Been a rough morning.
Bullshit came out on the Internet.
"DeMarcus [indistinct] down and out."
I understand it, but...
He's a max player. He'll be just fine.
Just roller coaster of emotions.
It's tough.
Just hate seeing him this down.
[man] Yo, what's up, man?
So, I had a conversation with Boogie.
- That's crazy. Fucking crazy. - [man] So...
No, not at all.
Pelicans are up on Portland
in the playoffs in 2018,
but in the background, what really was looming
was DeMarcus Cousins' free agency.
That was what was going on behind the scenes
in the spring leading up into free agency.
So you have DeMarcus Cousins coming off an injury,
entering your free agent summer.
Uh, question marks abound.
"Where am I gonna play? Who am I gonna play for?
Am I gonna recover from this injury?
Will I be the same player?"
Who was willing to make a long-term investment in him?
Who was willing to bet on him?
What's my next step? What's my next plan?
It's chess right now.
You know, it's... it's a lot of mind games,
a lot of manipulation.
It's...it's chess.
[Michael] When you go from being this close
to achieving so many things
that you've been wanting to achieve,
then it's just taken away from you, you have a choice.
Are you gonna feel sorry for yourself,
or are you gonna say, "You know what?
I'm not gonna let this keep me down.
I'm gonna get up and I'm gonna fight."
You think he had a chip on his shoulder before?
Well, it's even that much bigger now.
♪♪♪
[John] You know, the greatest thing is,
it basically is in his hands.
♪♪♪
How did he even stay sane?
How did he not go crazy?
[DeMarcus] Back then, it was like,
I don't know how the hell
I'ma get through this, how the hell I'ma do it.
♪♪♪
I know where I want to be.
I know where I want to get back to.
I know what type of player I want to be,
and I'm not settling for an injury
to determine who I am as a player.
I determine my worth. I won't let an injury do that.
♪♪♪
I've been through so much adversity.
If I sat there and dwelled on those moments,
where the fuck would I be right now, you know?
I don't need anybody feeling sorry for me, like...
I've been told my entire life I wasn't gonna be shit.
The next person's opinion or words don't matter.
You know what you're capable of.
At the end of the day, it's gonna take commitment
and dedication to reach whatever it is
you're trying to reach.
♪♪♪
[Rachel] You don't have to speculate
on how people thought of him.
You can just look at what happened in the summer.
So you're going into July 1.
You're looking at the list of teams.
There are less than ten teams with salary space
really to sign you as a free agent.
The list is just shrinking for you.
You're seeing free agents go off the board,
sign with teams, take money.
[Rachel] You had 30 teams
with the capability of making an investment
in the DeMarcus Cousins business,
so you have to wonder, who is betting on him?
Is he the only one? Is he just betting on himself?
[man] You got it.
- [man] We doing 30? - [DeMarcus] Yep.
Come on. It's that first step. How many you got left?
- [DeMarcus] Three. - [man] Two. Come on.
Come on, one more.
Awesome, and rest.
So now...
[Scott] Being DeMarcus is a free agent, it's not like
he can sit back and say, "You know, I got a contract."
He's on his own, and he's, like, on an island.
He's gotta hit it hard, he's gotta show
that he's better than what people think he is,
and so that's a lot of stress on him.
[DeMarcus] This is my first free agency, on the market.
I never expected to-- to be like this.
I-I thought it would be, you know, a walk in the park,
but, uh, I'ma maneuver through the bullshit.
Uh, I'ma find my way, like I always do,
and I mean, at the end of the day,
I know I'll be on the court,
playing the game that I love, eventually,
so we'll see what happens.
I think the reason why all the teams passed on him,
more than the injury, was because of his reputation.
[DeMarcus] We reached out to the teams, the Pelicans.
Pelicans had no interest in bringing me back.
They didn't even give me an offer.
You know, we reached out to some other teams.
We got answers like,
"We don't believe it's a f-- a good fit,"
or, "We gotta see what we're doing
with our roster right now."
Like, just kind of-- just bullshit answers,
and then there were some just flat-out, like,
"We can't take that risk."
Okay. Abs.
Yes.
[Michael] Is there a perception out there?
Are there some franchises or teams or coaches
that may be scared of coaching a guy like DeMarcus?
Maybe. You know, I-I can't speak for those people.
There are definitely some guys out there who say,
"I will never have him in my organization."
[Matt] I think the teams just didn't want to risk
the DeMarcus Cousins they think they know.
You know, liability is, I think,
a really negative word,
and one that I would never place upon DeMarcus
as a man and as a player.
[man] That's it. Keep going.
And stop, good job.
There you go.
[DeMarcus] I like that.
I got a nice little trick up my sleeve.
It's a shocker for sure.
I got a nice little plan up my sleeve.
♪♪♪
You got the Woj Bombs.
Then you got the Boogie bombs.
Nuclear warfare.
And I got more of them. [laughs]
Telling you, it's gonna fuck you up.
[man] Who, me?
[whistles]
♪ dramatic music ♪
[DeMarcus] What's up, Steve? How you doing?
Doing well. I'm just leaving the gym.
Like I said, I had a lot of time to reflect.
I had a lot of time to kind of prepare for this.
[Shams] There's no deal with the Lakers.
There's no deal with the Pelicans.
Both teams are-- are not in the picture for you.
Do you continue to wait it out?
Do you wait till July 6, July 7, July 8?
I'm willing to make this work. I want to win.
I want to play at a high level. I want to experience that.
We've been preparing for this moment.
We knew what the market would do.
We knew our chances were kind of slim.
We knew this injury would play a big part in decisions
and, you know, teams and their choices.
My heart's always into it.
Always.
Coach, I will pick teams apart.
[Michael] He wants to show people
he can help a team be a playoff team.
He can be part of a winning team,
a championship contender.
The Boogie Bomb!
[both] The Boogie Bomb!
Knowing the circumstances and the situation he was in,
it was probably the smartest decision that he made.
'Cause now he's in control. He's in control.
[Shams] Walls were closing in,
and DeMarcus really just took
this decision into his own hands.
Let me call J really quick.
Bada-bing, bada-boom.
Oh, this about to fuck everything up.
The league is about to be like....
- Just quit. - "What the fuck?"
Yeah.
This is-- this is my ace of spades.
Ha, I bet.
This is my--this is my-- my nuclear bomb.
A'ight. A'ight.
My last resort.
I'm a Warrior.
[laughter]
Whoo!
I mean, that's just a mic drop.
[woman] With a surprise move,
the Warriors agree to sign DeMarcus Cousins
to a one-year, $5.3 million contract.
♪♪♪
[cheers and applause]
NBA just fucked up.
Like, no one took a chance on DeMarcus Cousins?
You let the team that doesn't need him
to win a championship get him?
I mean, it was-- my-my reaction to that
was probably like the whole world's.
Shit. [laughs]
I think my first reaction was I laughed.
Wait, hold on.
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
This--this can't be true.
That can't be right.
It can't be that the Warriors picked him up.
Golden State was already a great team.
Just got a little bit greater. [laughs]
Oh, so this really is as crazy as it sounds?
Oh, yes, this is nuts.
At one point in time, I wanted to beat these guys.
Now I'm a part of them. We gonna win together.
All of a sudden, we get a phone call, like hey.
They said, "You're not gonna believe this one."
And so I answered the phone,
and Bob's, like, hyperventilating,
like, "Draymond!
We can get DeMarcus Cousins!" I'm like, "What?
What are you--like, what?"
We're embracing all of him,
all of DeMarcus'-- we need it all.
I said, "What the fuck are you calling me for?
What are we waiting on?"
Ten minutes later, my phone blew up.
DeMarcus Cousins to the Warriors,
and it was amazing.
Fuck the sources.
Bet you wasn't expecting this one, huh?
Fuck the sources.
So there was this idea of "Oh, my God,
they're gonna start five all-stars.
This is what Boogie can do. Oh, my gosh.
This isn't fair."
Um, you had a big backlash,
even among other NBA players,
being like, "Come on, man. You c--you can't do this."
I felt like it was much more sort of backlash
against the Warriors as a whole
and, like, "Hey, man, how is this allowed to happen?"
[phone chiming]
[Bob] I think the moment DeMarcus Cousins
committed to the Warriors, you saw
multiple different reactions from fans, from media.
Players get criticized all the time.
This is a guy that said, "I want to win
more than I want to get paid."
And I thought it was very savvy,
because you are putting yourself
in a position to increase your value so much.
I say to those people
who said DeMarcus Cousins becoming a Warrior
ruins the NBA,
they should blame 29 other GMs,
because they had the same opportunity
to go after DeMarcus that we did.
Social media and-and all that has made things so negative.
It's-it's given the voiceless a voice.
You know, and some fans just want to talk shit anyway,
so why not talk shit about the best center in the world
going to the best team in the world?
But if you worry about every little thing
that's being put out there and all the negative energy
that's put out there, I mean, you'll drive yourself insane.
You know, once you're painted as a bad guy in the NBA,
that's what you are.
It just shows you that people don't do their homework.
They see what they see in the media
and that's what they run with.
My perspective, um...
You know, I had haters before.
I've just got more now.
Do I care? No.
'Cause when you see me... [laughs]
You ain't trying to see me.
[laughs]
Period. You know the truth.
You really understand, but you're just--
once again, you're-you're paying attention
to everything on the surface.
I'm okay with that.
You know, as I'm easing closer to doing what I love,
which is playing basketball,
just kind of mentally preparing myself
to get back to where I was,
and-and beyond that...
[indistinct chatter]
[Monique] It starts with the kids.
The kids are our foundation.
Without that foundation, we can't do anything.
[man] I'll be on the floor somewhere.
[indistinct chatter]
Slide over this way. Slide over.
Yeah, go to the right.
Come on in. Come on in.
[Jaleel] Nobody really comes back
and gives to the city of Mobile.
This community needs it, and they haven't had it.
♪ uplifting music ♪
[Danny] You'd think he'll gravitate
to other ball players,
but he gravitates to the kids,
and they all over him,
and you see this tall man
with a bunch of kids hanging all over him.
He--and he loving it.
- Huh? - Who dropped you off?
- Who dropped me off? - Yeah.
I drove, man! I got a car!
[Danny] This is the DeMarcus that I know.
This DeMarcus
does things that the media never see.
♪♪♪
[DeMarcus] My satisfaction,
i-it comes from--
you know, it's helping as many people as I can.
Yeah.
I appreciate that, man.
Get ready to play, man. Go get ready to play.
And inspiring and also letting them know, like,
ten, 12 years ago, I was the exact same kid.
♪♪♪
Want to be great at anything, i-it starts with a commitment.
You're not committed to doing something
that--you know, whatever your goal
or your dream is,
it most likely won't happen.
My role model is my mom.
How do I control my anger?
[laughs]
I want the message to spread.
[man] So I just want to say thank you
to DeMarcus, to his family.
DeMarcus, I'll let you say a few words.
[DeMarcus] Um, you know, this is a beautiful event.
I love seeing our people together out here,
and I look forward to continue doing this,
so thanks for coming out, and thanks for your support.
♪♪♪
[Monique] For him to be able to use basketball in that way
is very positive.
[man] When I say "B," y'all say "cuz."
- B! - [all] Cuz!
[man] When I say "B," y'all say "cuz."
- B! - [all] Cuz!
[DeMarcus] I don't get any type of benefit from it
but to inspire and impact as many young lives as I can.
I-I ain't even gonna lie to you.
You might want to wait.
Everybody's first tattoo's some bullshit.
- I cover mine up, like-- - I cover my shit up too.
Just wait. Just be patient.
Trying to tell you.
Once you start kind of feeling
like yourself again, and, you know,
you're starting to do the things
that you used to do...
Love you too, man.
[growls affectionately]
Love.
[DeMarcus] Now it's like, man, I'm just ready
to get on the court and play.
♪ somber music ♪
♪♪♪
[crowd cheering]
♪♪♪
You ready? Let's go!
[crowd] DeMarcus! DeMarcus!
♪♪♪
[man] Welcome four-time NBA all-star
and Olympian and the man of the day,
and the newest Golden State Warrior.
That's DeMarcus Cousins.
♪♪♪
I-I couldn't believe it. Super excited.
That-that guy has a lot of heart.
Blocker, scorer.
A solid center.
Man down low, man can hit the boards.
I think he's, like, a tough dude,
and he's like Draymond, basically.
I think it's just gonna add
more fuel to the fire.
♪♪♪
[man] Hey, DeMarcus, um...
how are you physically feeling
at this stage of your recovery?
[DeMarcus] I'm getting my feet back under me,
and, um, you know, I'm starting
to feel like an athlete again.
It's-it's been a grind, it's been an adventure,
uh, to say the least.
♪♪♪
I've learned a lot through this process.
I learned a lot about myself.
♪♪♪
But I'm in a lot better place now.
♪♪♪
There it is! There it is!
[laughs]
[DeMarcus] Everything's on track,
and it's just a matter of time.
I feel a lot stronger.
I'm getting up and down the court.
I'm running full-court drills.
You know, I'm progressing well.
This is about getting healthy.
That's the biggest priority for us right now.
It's probably one of the hardest things,
you know, physically and mentally,
I've-I've been through in my career so far.
I've taken some positives out of this situation.
I learned from the negatives.
♪♪♪
Sometimes, it just helps
to reminisce on the things you have accomplished
instead of focusing
on the things you haven't, so, just being grateful.
Also using that to keep pushing forward
to make my next accomplishment.
♪♪♪
[Danny] It's real nice.
DeMarcus outdone himself.
[DeMarcus] I'll put it like this.
It's a--it's an injury that can be,
you know, overcome,
and, uh, I'll make sure that I prove that.
[man] DeMarcus, welcome to the Bay.
[applause]
♪♪♪
[man] All right, ready?
[DeMarcus] Yeah, let's do it.
[Rachel] You have to be changed
by this experience, right?
You've done all the rehab,
and you've done all the conditioning work
and you proved everyone wrong
about what your body can and can't do after this.
He is coming out of this
a different person than when he went in.
Shit, it don't even really feel real.
You know, just to kind of wake up today
and it's like, "All right.
We need you for a game tonight now,"
so it's just like...
it's a weird feeling.
I think about...
...you know,
losing a seed this past summer.
My family was about to grow,
and, you know, things didn't go...
...the way we thought it would, and...
...losing my grandmother the day after Christmas.
Her not being able to, you know, witness this moment.
And, you know...
...on top of that,
fighting through rehab.
Every single day, nonstop.
Through all that and more.
Now I'm at this moment where...
...I'm about to, you know,
return to what I love to do, which is playing basketball.
I'm nervous as hell.
♪ tense music ♪
♪♪♪
[Shams] So you're DeMarcus Cousins.
A year after you tear your Achilles,
you're on the best team in basketball.
You're making your debut.
I mean, just imagine
the emotions running through you.
Picture this.
It's 30 minutes before tip,
and so he's gonna be going,
"Hey, let's go, you know, big game."
The anxiousness he's feeling before the game,
going to the tunnel for the first time.
And he's gonna look over at Kevin,
and Kevin's gonna be going,
"What are you--calm down, man." It's his first game.
He's gonna look at Klay, reading the paper.
Draymond's not gonna have his shoes tied.
I think--and I told him. I said,
"Everybody's gonna be looking at you."
It's gonna be exciting.
[Rachel] And here comes Boogie Cousins
with the opportunity to show people
he's gonna be a functional,
incredible sort of part meshing with his team.
He has a chance to write his own story now.
What do you want the story to be?
Then make it that.
He's still on his path.
The journey is still going. It hasn't ended.
He didn't let an injury stop him. He's back.
Failure is not in his vocabulary.
Now it's get ready to watch.
All hell is gonna break loose,
and I'm excited as fuck.
♪♪♪
[DeMarcus] Sometimes, you gotta go through,
you know, a storm, you know,
to find some sunshine, you know what I'm saying?
These are all the guys you're warming up with:
Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson.
and you're finally being thrown
into that Warriors mix in the middle of the season.
No one could stop us before.
You're damn sure not about to stop us
with DeMarcus in the lineup.
The finish line is... it's in sight.
Overcame every obstacle.
I ain't do everything the right way.
Most people don't.
He found a way to do it. He found a way to make it.
[cheers and applause]
So why can't I?
[cheers and applause]
♪ energetic synth music ♪
♪♪♪
[man] DeMarcus Cousins continues to show off
that incredible offensive skill.
[man] Draymond to DeMarcus to finish!
Beautifully done.
[man] Well...
♪♪♪
[man] Cousins throws it down
and stands over Kuzma.
[man] DeMarcus Cousins decides to go Kuz control.
[man] You gotta get up on him.
You gotta get up on him.
You give him that gap,
he gonna take it.
That's a foul!
[laughs]
♪♪♪
Oh!
[man] DeMarcus is energized here in the fourth.
Now back to the big man to lay it in!
- [laughs] - Will you be Mrs. Cousins?
I will.
[all exclaim]
Don't do it. Don't do it.
- Really? - Don't do it.
Just one?
Oh, my God.
- I like burgers. - Burgers?
- I like candy. - No.
Ice cream...
Are you trying to lose weight, darling?
I'm sorry. What about you?
You're gonna eat in front of him?
No, no.
Get--eat the cookie
and tell me how it tastes.
Only thing I can say, kids,
is cardio, cardio, cardio.
[man] If you--if you insist.
Cardio is important,
'cause if you ain't got no gas,
you ain't gonna last.
♪♪♪
[laughs]
♪♪♪
[laughter]
[man] No, that--no, that's real.
That's real right there.
- [woman] Bye, DeMarcus - Everyone have a great day.
Use that foot. Get us up out of here.
Come on, bruh. Do your damn job.
Excuse me, sir.
[man] Oh, no, you're fine.
Man, what you doing?