NBA History: 25 former NBA stars you forgot dominated the league 

7) DeMarcus Cousins

Former NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins isn't that far removed from his peak, but his dominance appears to be on the verge of being forgotten. That is a shame because before injuries robbed him of a surefire Hall of Fame career, and he was among the most productive big men in the NBA. Cousins started his career with the Sacramento Kings and from 2013–14 to 2017–18, he averaged an incredible 25.2 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.4 blocks.

However, as a member of the New Orleans Pelicans, he ruptured his Achilles, which is a devastating injury that is notoriously difficult to recover from. He later signed with the Golden State Warriors but struggled with injuries in what would have been his comeback season. After just one season there, he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers but tore his ACL days after signing his contract in a pickup game.

He missed the entire 2019–2020 season and that effectively ended any chance of him returning to form. Over the next two seasons, he would play for four teams but fail to average more than 10 points per game or carve out more than a backup role.

By the age of 31, Cousins was out of the league and two years later, he appears unlikely to ever play in the NBA again. With just 654 games under his belt, he'll likely fail to make the Hall of Fame, though with four all-star appearances and two all-NBA appearances, he was well on his way before injuries effectively ended his career.