DeMarcus Cousins apologizes for postgame tirade in Kings locker room
Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins apologized for his words in the locker room following Monday’s loss to San Antonio.
“It is no secret that we are all frustrated with losing—me more than anyone,” Cousins wrote in a statement, according to Yahoo! Sports’s Marc Spears. “I let my frustrations get the best of me in the locker room after the San Antonio loss—that is my bad. For the record, my frustration is not about any one person or player or coach. There is no one person to blame. All of us are accountable. My frustration is that we are 1–7 simple as that.”
The loss made the Kings 1–7, and multiple reports indicated that Cousins went on a profane tirade directed at head coach George Karl after the game. The Sacramento Bee reports Karl wanted to suspend Cousins for two games after the incident, but general manager Vlade Divac did not grant permission.
Divac told Spears Wednesday that Cousins’s outburst “wasn’t on George [Karl]. He spoke his mind, frustration about 1–7. I’m OK with it. As a [former] player I know how it’s frustrating, It’s better to say something and show that those guys care.
“Most important thing we had after the meeting was we were on the same page, bottom line, on how to improve,” Divac added. “That’s positive stuff.”
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Cousins called publicly for a players-only meeting after the loss. The team met on Tuesday, but the meeting included players, coaching staff and members of the front office. It is unclear exactly which coaches and staff members were in the room. The Big Lead reported that Divac asked players if they thought the team should fire Karl, leaving the team unsure how to respond.
Karl signed a four-year, $15 million contract in February. The Kings have had four head coaches during Vivek Ranadive’s tenure as owner.
Sacramento hosts Detroit Wednesday night.
- Jeremy Woo
