Kings' DeMarcus Cousins calls Bulls' Mike Dunleavy a 'clown'
Kings center DeMarcus Cousins mixed it up with the Bulls on Monday. (Sacramento Bee / Getty Images)
Kings center DeMarcus Cousins renewed his beef with Bulls forward Mike Dunleavy during and after Sacramento's 99-70 home victory over Chicago on Monday.
"He's a clown, and he's scared," Cousins said, in post-game comments recorded by CowbellKingdom.com. "I wouldn't even waste my time on him if I ever saw him outside of the gym. He's a clown."
The Sacramento Bee reports that the two players mixed it up on the court during a wild game.
Dunleavy pushed Cousins as he ran down the court at one point, and Dunleavy also complained on a foul that Cousins tried to injure him.
Cousins received a technical foul in a contest that also saw Joakim Noah ejected following a profane tirade against the officials.
On Tuesday, Dunleavy took the barb in stride.
"I would like to respond but clowns can't talk," Dunleavy said, according to the Chicago Tribune. "So I'll mime or make him some animal balloons or something. Oh, man. That's the epitome of the pot calling the kettle black. Honestly, I've never been called that before. I guess there's a first time for everything."
The Cousins/Dunleavy bad blood dates back to last March, when Cousins was assessed a flagrant foul 2 and ejected for elbowing Dunleavy, then with the Bucks, in the back of the head. Cousins and Dunleavy were also assessed double technical fouls prior to Cousins’ ejection, after Dunleavy appeared to undercut Cousins as he battled for position on a Marcus Thornton drive. Cousins later told reporters he felt Dunleavy's action was intentional.
This isn't the first time that the outspoken Cousins has had direct words regarding his opponents. In 2012, Cousins told SI.com that Clippers forward Blake Griffin was "babied" by the referees and the league, and he has also referred to Griffin as an "actor." Back in Nov. 2013, Cousins said he was the victim of a "cheap shot" to his groin by Hawks rookie guard Dennis Schröder. Earlier this year, he implied during a Grantland.com interview that Clippers guard Chris Paul was a "cheater."
The fourth-year center's straightforward assessments have extended beyond the court too. He told Sacramento media members following his team's 2013-14 season opener that the Kings "felt like an AAU team" when they were owned by the Maloof family.
Cousins now leads the NBA in technical fouls this season with 12. He also led the NBA in technical fouls with 17 last year, and he's ranked in the top-five in technicals every season since he was selected with the No. 5 pick in the 2010 draft.
Despite being one of just four players to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds per game this season, Cousins was left off the Western Conference's 2014 All-Star team.
Sacramento claimed an easy victory on Monday by holding Chicago to just 13 fourth-quarter points and 28.2 percent shooting for the game.
Cousins finished with a game-high 25 points (on 8-for-15 shooting), 16 rebounds and four assists in his first game back after missing time with an ankle injury. Isaiah Thomas added 19 points (on 7-for-9 shooting), three rebounds and three assists for the Kings.
Jimmy Butler led Chicago with a team-high 17 points (on 4-for-11 shooting), five rebounds and three steals.
Sacramento improved to 16-32 with the win. Chicago dropped to 23-24 with the loss.
