Los Angeles Lakers center DeMarcus Cousins, who featured in All The Smoke Podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, disclosed that he probably shouldn’t have played in the 2019 NBA Finals with the Golden State Warriors.
He tore his left quadriceps in Game 2 of the Warriors’ first-round playoff series last year against the Los Angeles Clippers, but managed to return after six weeks straight into the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors.
“I rehabbed a torn quad in six weeks. I had no business being on the floor.
I was terrible in the Finals. One-leg bandit on the floor
But I wanted to be a part of it. In the Finals, you play hurt
That’s when you lay your body on the line. I went out there and I gave it what I had. I helped in spots. But I wasn’t supposed to be on the floor.”
DeMarcus Cousins
Cousins played in all six games of the Finals against the Toronto Raptors. Cousins averaged 8.3 points and 4.7 rebounds, and, despite some struggles, he was key to Warriors’ wins:
Game #2 = 11 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks
Game #5 = 14 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block
“Do I regret it? Hell no. I’m OK with the results.”
DeMarcus Cousins
DeMarcus Cousins may be faced with a similar decision in 2020.
