With DeMarcus Cousins searching for answers on why he isn’t currently playing in the NBA, Bob Myers has come over to hand him a tough pill to swallow.

The Golden State Warriors’ top executive has joined Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson’s All The Smoke podcast and revealed that he was asked by DeMarcus Cousins why he still remains unsigned in the NBA.

Myers, for his part, gave the free-agent big man a needed reality check.

“DeMarcus called me a month ago and he said, ‘Why am I not in the NBA?’ ” Myers told Barnes Jackson earlier this week, via NBC Sports’ Tristi Rodriguez. “And I said, ‘You want that answer? … Because people are afraid of how you’re going to act.’ And he’s like ‘Why?’ And I said, ‘Well whatever the reason is, it’s here now.’ 

“And I like DeMarcus. You guys may know him. He’s just, I can’t blame him for him because of all he’s been through.” 

The talent and tools to transform into a great, modern big man of his own were already there for Cousins when he entered the league in 2010 as a lottery pick of the Sacramento Kings. But amid that promising potential, he became a major subject of discussion throughout the years mainly because of his attitude issues on and off the court.

To add up, his All-Star days sadly faded away upon injuring his Achilles in the 2017-18 campaign. The said injury took a major swing of his status shift in the league and made him adjust into a role player.

From the previous five seasons, Cousins only logged 167 total regular season appearances. He last played for the Denver Nuggets back in the 2021-22 campaign, wherein he served as a backup for reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and averaged a serviceable 8.9 points, 5.5 boards, 1.7 assists per 13.9 minutes on 31 occasions.

Myers further stated that he elaborated to the big man to set himself up accordingly and convince people that he already made a change for the better.

“I said here’s the issue, you have to act better,” Myers continued. “To get back, you can’t just be average. You have to convince people. And that’s not really fair, but that’s just what it is.”

Cousins stands as one of the notable players remaining in the market who already made it known that he’s willing to do whatever it takes to be back in the association.

“It would mean everything in the world to me to be back in the NBA,” Cousins told Yahoo Sports. “I know I belong in this league. I feel like I’ve paid my dues and earned my stripes. I’ve hit some bumps in the road with injuries and I’ve always worked my way back to be 100 percent healthy. I’ve worked my tail off to get back to this point. I just want the opportunity to show the work I’ve put in and continue to put in. I also just want an opportunity to also earn my keep and that’s all I really want. I have a lot left in the tank. A whole lot. I feel like I’ve actually become an even better player, just sharpening all my skills. I’ve had nothing but time in the gym. I’ve gotten better in all aspects of my game.

“I just want teams to get to really know me and not to believe the narrative. I’m a great teammate and great for the locker room. I have a lot of experience in this league. I have a lot of knowledge to give to these younger guys. I love spreading knowledge. I love being an OG to the younger guys. I’ve always been a big brother figure. I don’t believe those areas of my game and of my personality are ever really highlighted. It’s more so always the technicals and things of that nature. And like I said, I just don’t think that’s a fair assessment. I’m ready to help a team however way I can.”

With how things are going in a different direction, the big man may choose to perhaps revive his odds to be back in the NBA, maybe not now but soon. He is reportedly preparing now to take his talents in Taiwan’s T1 League and join the fellow center, Dwight Howard.