DeMarcus Cousins has never been one to shy away from speaking out. The Sacramento Kings center has been incredibly open during his NBA career, sometimes to a fault.
Oftentimes, however, Boogie’s open dialogue is to send a great message. That was the case when he spoke to NBA.com’s David Aldridge about the message he sends to kids regarding “haters.”
Absolutely. I grew up in a rough area, went to an all-black school, public school. I hear some of these messages, see the kids and the messages that they’re always getting — you’re going to be in jail, you’re going to be dead, whatever the case may be. I’m like, (bleep) them. Don’t let them tell you how your life’s going to be. I was one of those kids, telling me I ain’t gonna be (bleep). (Bleep) you, you know? That’s basically my message. You make yourself be whatever the hell you want to be, at the end of the day. Nobody can tell you what your destiny is. That’s the main message I’m pushing. To this day, there’s people telling me what I can’t do, or who I am as a person. (Bleep) you. And that’s the same message I tell them.
Cousins’ profane but useful message was part of a much larger cause. As more and more athletes become politically and socially active in the midst of many issues around the country and world, Cousins is doing the same. The big man, inspired by Carmelo Anthony and other socially-conscious athletes, has organized a meeting between young kids (namely African Americans) and police officers in the Sacramento area, with the goal of embracing trust between the two sides.
The biggest message is it’s mistakes on both sides. You can’t sit here just and blame it on them; you can’t just sit here and blame it on them. It’s victims on both sides. At the end of the day, everybody talks about what needs to be done, what this side needs to do and what this side needs to do. We can come together if we really want. If we really are trying to fix the issues, both sides will humble themselves and come to the table. And that’s basically what it was about.
The whole interview is absolutely worth a read as Cousins speaks about his personal experiences in that particular regard.
DeMarcus Cousins has done a lot for the community since entering the league. The center has a bad reputation for his on-court attitude. But off the court, he is one of the best people affiliated with the NBA.
