On January 26, 2018, DeMarcus Cousins tore the Achilles tendon in his left foot in the dying seconds of a game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Houston Rockets. Until then, the 7-foot-1 center born in Alabama was considered one of the most talented players in the NBA, and possibly of the last decade.
Cousins was in the prime of his career, averaging 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.6 blocks per game and was selected in his last two seasons in the second best five. of the NBA. It’s never a good time to get injured, but in his case the phrase makes even more sense.
To his good sporting condition we must add that Cousins was about to sign the contract of his life. The center ended his contract with the Pelicans, earning 18 million in that last year, and rejected a 30 million player option to go on the market with a maximum contract that could exceed 133 million dollars in four seasons.
After the injury, DeMarcus Cousins entered a series of misfortunes and his career gradually ended in a tailspin. In the summer of 2018, the still player of the Pelicans signed for Golden State Warriors, the team of the moment that had won three of the last four rings and had proven to be .
From high to low contracts
Cousins became a free agent at the end of that season and as soon as it was learned that he barely had very succulent offers financially, he preferred to lose a few million and sign for the Warriors, letting more money escape to qualify for the long-awaited ring with the team. who started at that time with more options to win it. The pivot, still in the recovery phase, arrived in La Bahía with a contract of 5.3 million in one year. Nothing to do with the average 33.25 he was able to win before his injury.
After a season without penalty or glory, and with another quadriceps injury involved, the Warriors decided not to bet on his continuity and Cousins, given the scarce market opportunity, changed agents to seek a new challenge in his career. He finally opted for it and signed for the Los Angeles Lakers for this season, 2019-2020, in a minimum contract of only 3.5 million.
But Cousins fell out of favor again and a month after signing for LeBron James’ team he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, which has kept him out of most of the season for the Angels. A few days ago, the Lakers cut him to take advantage of his place and incorporate Markieff Morris, although this does not mean that he will not wear the ‘laker’ shirt again as long as he fully recovers from his injuries.
Three serious injuries in a year and a half
Now, Cousins is without a team and in full recovery of the cruciate ligament in his knee, although it is quite likely that he has not yet recovered from his previous Achilles injury. And it is that according to an NBA study carried out between 1988 and 2013, seven out of eighteen players who suffered an injury to said tendon never played again, while the remaining 11 returned, but with a decrease in scoring percentages and their minutes in clue.
A history that does not benefit a player who was in a position to be one of the best in the NBA. While there are players who are touched by a wand, others are haunted by a black cloud, with three serious injuries (Achilles tendon, quadriceps and knee) in just a year and a half. So it will be difficult for Cousins not to be the same as before, but to feel like a basketball player again.
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