How 4 once dominant NBA stars became journeymen
By Cal Durrett
NBA Journeymen #3: DeMarcus Cousins
DeMarcus Cousins’ inclusion on this list is also a result of injuries. He tore his ACL and then his Achilles 18 months later. Either one of those injuries would have been enough to derail a career, but they both contributed to the end of his time as a star in the NBA. Before that, Cousins was a legit offensive weapon who could bully defenders in the post, knock down threes, and attack the basket off the dribble.
His best year came during the 2016-17 season when he averaged 27.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists for the Sacramento Kings. He was later traded to the New Orleans Pelicans, where he was equally as dominant before tearing his ACL in the 2017-18 season.
He missed the rest of that season, then signed with the Golden State Warriors but played just 30 games for them in the 2018-19 season. Cousins then tore his Achilles after signing with the Lakers in free agency, causing him to miss the 2019-20 season.
Since then, Cousins has bounced around the NBA, playing for four teams in the last three seasons. He can still score, but he simply isn’t a starting caliber center anymore. That’s too bad because he’s only 32 years old and should be putting up big numbers on a playoff team. Instead, he’ll largely be remembered for the dominance he showed during the first half of his career and what could’ve been, had he stayed healthy.