The Most Volatile Player On The NBA's Most Dysfunctional Team

He’s the most volatile player on the NBA’s most dysfunctional team. But is DeMarcus Cousins undoing Sacramento, or is Sacramento undoing Cousins?

- Kevin Arnovitz

A white towel clings like Saran Wrap to DeMarcus Cousins’ nearly 300-pound body as he makes his way from the shower into the Kings’ locker room. It’s an hour after the final buzzer, and most of his teammates have long vacated the arc of wood paneled lockers. Cousins’ stall is at the end; beside it, a pyramidal mass of reporters and videographers huddles in wait. On this December night, the Kings trounced the Lakers 116-92, with Cousins’ 16-point third quarter tilting the game in Sacramento’s favor. But whatever pride he’s taken from the performance — what it says about the body of work he’s assembled in his seventh season, what it portends for the Kings as they prepare to hit the road just two games out of the playoffs—all of that is now secondary. Among the reporters stands Sacramento Bee columnist Andy Furillo—leather jacket, baseball cap atop strawberry hair, rimless glasses. Before Cousins even finishes toweling off, he engages Furillo, the author of an opinion piece lambasting Cousins’ choice of New York City nightlife venues the prior week—a piece that cites an earlier incident at a Tampa club in which Cousins’ brother, Jaleel, was tased and arrested.

The confrontation begins. Cousins wants to know whether Furillo knows Jaleel. He doesn’t. Then why would Furillo mention him in the column? Furillo replies that the altercation was relevant. Moreover, there’s a published video that captures it, and DeMarcus was there. Cousins suggests Furillo is simply out to criticize him. Then it escalates.

“You’re a coward,” Cousins says. “You’re a f---ing coward. You’re a coward.” 

“Why would you say that?” Furillo answers. 

“Because you are.” 

“Bulls--t.”