Drafted fifth overall by the Sacramento Kings, DeMarcus Cousins was one of the biggest talents of the 2010 NBA Draft. But his time in Sacramento never resulted in a playoff appearance. The Kings were a chaotic franchise during that period, with Cousins playing for seven different coaches during his six and a half seasons. Nevertheless, he believes the Kings should retire his jersey number. Does he have a point?
Boogie Believes His Number Belongs in the Rafters; Is He Right?
In a recent podcast, Boogie talked about several topics, including his time in Sacramento. It was one of his realest interviews, and of course, he touched on his jersey. When discussing whether the Kings should retire his jersey or not, Cousins said:
“Obviously, it would be an honor. That was something that I definitely wanted and strived for, as far as why I tried to go out and perform every single night. Accolade-wise, I feel like I did all the right things while I was in that jersey. As far as All-Stars, as far as All-NBA selections, numbers, gold medals. I put my work in. I think I earned my stripes. As far as the work being done, I think I did what needed to be done to join the others up in the rafters.”
Cousins spent six and a half years in Sacramento before the Kings traded him to the New Orleans Pelicans. During that time, he finished third in Rookie of the Year voting, earned an All-Star spot three times, and made it to the All-NBA second team twice. He averaged 21.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game for the Kings.
How Does Cousins Compare to Other Kings Greats?
The Sacramento Kings have retired 11 jersey numbers in total. One is the No. 6 for their fans. Known to have one of the best fanbases in the league, the Kings have retired the number as their Sixth Man. Of the remaining 10 jerseys, only four have played for the Sacramento Kings, while the remaining six were part of the earlier history of the franchise, playing for the Cincinnati Royals, Rochester Royals, or the Kansas City Kings.
Looking at the four retired jerseys who played for the Sacramento Kings, we have Peja Stojakovic, Vlade Divac, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Webber. Webber and Richmond had more All-Star appearances, while Peja also had three. Divac only made one All-Star during his time in Sacramento.
Comparing their stats to Cousins shows that his jersey clearly belongs in the rafters. Here are their averages for the Kings:
- Richmond: 23.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.3 steals per game during his time with the Kings.
- Divac: 11.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1 steal, and 1.2 blocks per game.
- Stojakovic: 18.3 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal per game.
- Webber: 23.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game.
However, we have to note that Stojakovic, Divac, and Webber were part of one of the most successful periods of the franchise. They made the playoffs from the 1998-99 season to 2005-06. During that stretch, they made the Conference Semifinals three times and the Conference Finals once. Boogie, for all his great play, never made the playoffs with the Kings.
© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The post Boogie Believes His Number Belongs in the Rafters; Is He Right? appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.