In the past, Houston Rockets center DeMarcus Cousins has said that he believes his reputation for accumulating technical fouls leads to officials having a quicker whistle for him than they do for other players.
On Wednesday, in his first interview after Monday’s rapid ejection, Cousins took a very different approach when asked about the situation.
“You know my thoughts,” Cousins said after Wednesday’s team shootaround in Indiana. “I don’t have to say anything. Obviously, I don’t want to say too much, because the league is looking to keep taking money. I don’t have anything to say. It is what is. I’ll do better.”
Cousins was whistled for two technical fouls in less than three minutes during Monday’s loss to Dallas, with the second given for what officiating crew chief John Goble referred to as an “overt gesture” after Cousins believed he was fouled on a made shot attempt.
DeMarcus Cousins was just ejected with two technicals after playing just three minutes. pic.twitter.com/3BRFssTECD
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) January 5, 2021
Boogie and Willie Cauley-Stein getting chippy.
Double techs pic.twitter.com/Z9hOJlHjP1
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 5, 2021
For Cousins, Monday’s ejection was the latest roadblock in a series of unfortunate circumstances as he works to revive his NBA career. After missing most of the last two seasons after serious injuries to his left ACL, quadriceps, and Achilles tendon, Cousins was forced to quarantine for seven days at the start of the 2020-21 season over what amounted to being at the wrong place at the wrong time. That ruling forced him to miss two games and cost him valuable practice time with a new team.
“Every time I feel like I’m getting my groove, something else pops up,” Cousins said. “I was feeling really good. I had the seven-day quarantine. I was feeling really good the other night. Ejection. Hopefully, I can get on the path where I’m feeling great and I can play through those moments, and actually see an improvement on the floor.”
DeMarcus Cousins: “Every time I feel like I’m getting my groove something else pops up.I was feeling really good.I get the 7-day quarantine.I felt really good the other night & had the ejection.Hopefully,I can get on a path where I’m feeling great & I can plan thru those moments” pic.twitter.com/gylrplo4dp
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) January 6, 2021
Moving forward, Cousins said he understood the process ahead.
“One thing I do know this is a process for me,” Cousins concluded. “Obviously, it’s going to be a buildup throughout the season. I’m going to improve more and more in my production. I have to realize it is a process, one that I have to go through. It can’t be rushed. It can’t be steps skipped over. Just kind of go through it. I’m looking forward to the end result, and feeling like myself out there on the floor.”
DeMarcus Cousins (@boogiecousins) on getting the two technicals/ejection Monday against Dallas: “You know my thoughts. I don’t have to say anything. Obviously I don’t want to say too much because the League is looking to keep taking money…It is what is. I’ll do better.” pic.twitter.com/eLTWPesZM4
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) January 6, 2021
