In the second game of the playoffs, the Nuggets lost to the Warriors again, the second boss Barton suddenly became angry at Cousins' incompetence off the court, the overwhelmed teammates circled, and finally the big brother of the locker room Jeff Green came out to preside over justice, and Barton also admitted his mistake after the game.
What is more surprising is that he was inexplicably yelled at by his teammates, this time Cousins... Didn't lose your temper?
No temper tantrum is indeed abnormal for Cousins, although mixed with the salary, but this year's Cousins will collect the skills of technical prisoners to carry forward, in the Nuggets just 31 regular season games + 2 playoffs to cut 15 technical fouls, career 12 years, 9 years of technical offense doubles, so who in the end said the most reasonable words, so Cousins suddenly obeyed?
The answer is easy to guess: Michael Malone. He was Cousins' only obedient head coach when he was a King, and this time the Nuggets signed Cousins, and he also contributed a lot. But this time, what he said to Cousins was somewhat less smooth.
Malone simply told Cousins: Less trouble, there is not much time for you, don't spoil the normal rotation of the team because of the mistake. After all, he ate two technicians in the first game and was expelled.
At the Nuggets, Cousins signed three short 10-day contracts in a row before he was regularized, totaling only $680,000, which is roughly equivalent to Jokic playing two games. Of course, this opportunity to play a substitute for Jokic is also won by good arguments.
The Nuggets are Cousins' second team this season, and one day five months ago, when Cousins was still trying for the Nuggets, his agent suddenly called and told him that he was "ready to prepare, come and live", and the management of the "thirsty" Bucks simply looked at his trial and handed over the contract.
So on November 30, Cousins got the Bucks' 2 million unsecured base salary contract, but after 17 games and 27 days, he was cut by the Bucks for "financial reasons".
Whether Cousins believes it or not, the Bucks are not wrong: lay off people before the full coverage on January 10, as long as you pay 600,000. That said, the Bucks spoke politely to Cousins, just omitting the less comfortable sentence — (because you're not good enough to continue to get the full base salary,) "for financial reasons." (Bye bye inside you.) ）
It turns out that the Bucks just got big Lopez injured, find someone to fill the lineup, and when the time comes, it's better to change another one.
The so-called "discerning people" ah "warm family", ah, are bear people, otherwise look at this picture can taste the taste -
After the Bucks and Hornets finished the game, Cousins found the three-ball Lamelo Ball and wanted to change jerseys with him. As a result, the Bucks boss alphabet brother stopped him and changed his clothes with the three balls. So happiness is theirs and I have nothing. When Cousins came down in a bubbling, no one coaxed him.
The people who coaxed him were a few years ahead, quite a lot, and they were all organized to coax. Before there were warriors dying five small heavenly regiments, after there were purple gold luxury warband, but you taste a pin, fine taste, is there a problem?
The last purpose of those people's sweet words is not to prostitute you?
Cousins, a serious man, is the most beautiful, and he signed a contract that is actually far below the market: the Warriors' 5.3 million, the Lakers' 3.5 million. They gain attention and topics, and it's always you who get scolded.
There were quite a few warm little stories about Cousins in those two years: warrior teammates were happy with him; the Lakers built a team of teammates every day. Of course, the beginning of the story is very good, and the fans are happy, but this kind of story usually does not end, and after the season is over, each returns to each home, there is no follow-up.
After being cut by the Bucks, Cousins pondered and understood, and suddenly published the proverb of life like a cannon in front of the reporter's camera, please copy and recite it in full:
"The NBA is cruel, the weirdest, the worst part of it is that they can give you any excuse they can come up with, and they can give the media and the public any excuse they want." These things are probably not facts at all, you know it yourself, and it's pure nonsense. ”
You're right. The question is, Cousins, why did you know?
Cousins said the bucks made him really feel cold-blooded when he injured his calf after the last game, and then the Bucks learned about it and cut him off, which was so impersonal.
But think about it on the other hand, people have not done wrong, you Cousins was once a superstar of the King, the first C of the league, and now it is an ordinary base salary, and you still need to lose your smile when laying off people?
If we pull the timeline forward, we will find that this story has happened many times: the Lakers won the championship in 2020, but Cousins was cut in February, the championship has nothing to do with him, and he is replaced by Markieff Morris, who has never dealt with him. Then the season is over, and the Lakers don't believe it - the eldest brother Rondo and the third brother Thick Eyebrow are only responsible for wooing him, and when the next reunion comes, you need to go through five levels and cut six generals yourself.
It just happened to be November 30th, Cousins found a job on his own, signed an unsecured base salary with the Rockets, averaging 9.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 20 minutes per game, which is quite beautiful. As a result, the rocket side took the initiative to discuss with him: young people also need opportunities, buddy you can shine wherever you go, otherwise...
Like it doesn't feel like a landlord picking up a tenant?
Cousins is certainly not stupid, that year chose to go to the Warriors, the next year to go to the Lakers, at the time, in fact, it is also the best alternative in the case of helplessness, he himself also admitted to gambling and losing. But there is also an element of gambling: after the Pelican Achilles tendon was broken, the team opened a 2-year 28 million, and he did not agree. As a result, by the summer, the contract was gone, and then the thick eyebrows ran away, just because he wanted to run away — and certainly not because Cousins didn't keep it anyway.
But in the past few years, he has been fooled around, and Cousins has almost learned to be obedient. When he was in the Nuggets, Malone praised him for his dedication, praised him for his talent, praised him for filling the thickness of the team, and mostly said polite words, which he also knew.
But Cousins still has a problem, which has not changed for so many years.
Still like to talk big.
"I know some people don't like me, anyway, there are always people who like me, and people who like me will naturally give me contracts," he said, "Everyone has people who don't like me, some people don't like Jordan, some people don't like James, they don't like Durant, they don't like Curry, and it's normal not to like me." ”
And then he added a sentence —
"I am grateful to you guys who have been kind to my cause. But some people, you know in your hearts, I give you my middle finger. ”
This group certainly includes Divac.
At that time, the league had just set up a "designated veteran clause", which simply allowed small city teams to break through the previous salary cap limit and get a larger top salary contract in advance. The league's intentions at the beginning were good, thinking that it could help the small city team retain the ace star, but the result just changed - the small city team could not rely on the market to earn back the extra money, so it simply sold to the star.
Cousins' story is even more sinister.
The day before the league played the All-Star Game in New Orleans, the King boss also came, and the day before the game, Divac talked to Cousins and his agent about the future at the behest of the boss, and Divac asked, What do you think of the Prospects for the Kings?
Cousins pondered for a moment and replied very deeply, I think you should have a long-term plan.
Divac said, OK, got it, and went.
As a result, the All-Stars were halfway through, and the deal was announced. Behind the obstruction of an angry Cousins by several security guards, the King Boss and Divac waved their planes: Just stay here, and the luggage we will send you back...
Later Cousins heard that the plot looked like this:
Because the Kings feel that Cousins will definitely want a super salary, the team is not very willing to give him, then he will definitely make trouble, and it will be difficult to sell a good price when the time comes. At that time, his ambiguous answer showed that he was already thinking of leaving. Just in case, it's better to strike first...
Cousins was about to stomp his feet after listening: What about my sister... You guys figured it out...
This is actually the image that Cousins left to the king's management - he himself felt that he would eventually grow old, so he always maintained his true temperament, liked and liked, and did not like it. But the kings did not think so, after all, the league was 75 years, the kings were founded in 74 years, and the latest wave of reconstruction was 16 years, which was really not a difference of one or two Cousins. Of course, Cousins' evaluation of the king a few days ago seems to show that there is still some truth in what people do...
"My jersey number should be retired."
"I have done far more for the king than the king has done for me."
"I'm the best player this team has ever had, a must."
So if you were to go back 12 years, what would you decide?
"I'm definitely not going to give the Kings a trial."
So far, all the teams Cousins has played for have paid no attention to him, but fortunately he still has the Nuggets and Malone coaches to take him in. But in Denver, the most valued center is another Jokic in the no. 15. What does Cousins think now?
"I'm a lot like him, the big men of this era are all-powerful, but I'm the first, I'm the godfather of all the almighty interiors. I was the first big man to take a triple-double, I was the first big man to shoot three-pointers, I was also the first big man to be versatile, I was always so strong. ”
All right, Cousins, 31, and wish you as always, as happy as ever.
in Rido