DeMarcus Cousins time with the Los Angeles Lakers has been rocky from the start. Shortly after tearing his ACL in an offseason pickup basketball game, Cousins was issued an arrest warrant in his home state of Alabama stemming from an incident in which he allegedly violently threatened the mother of his child for not wanting to allow their child to attend his wedding.
Since then, Cousins has been quiet about the matter. The NBA and the Lakers have similarly not said anything about the incident since an initial statement that they would investigate the matter and work with law enforcement.
This week, Cousins appeared on “All The Smoke,” a podcast hosted by former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson and addressed that issue for the first time publicly:
“It’s an unfortunate situation. I had a special moment in my life, I wanted all my family to be there. A little piece of happiness while I’m going through whatever I’m going through. Things didn’t work out the way I wanted it to for my day, I was upset. So I said some things I shouldn’t have said, but that person knew what it was coming from. I mean I’ve seen a lot of things, heard a lot of stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I’m 100% against domestic violence. Like 100%. I watched my mother go through that as a child. So when it comes to that, I’m the first advocate for that. But with that being said, I said the wrong thing. Heat of the moment. We’ve all done it… When it comes to your kids, it’s a whole ‘nother situation. I’m pretty sure everybody with kids can speak on that. But it was still wrong.”
We should note here that the purpose of our story is not to give Cousins a platform to excuse his actions. We do not believe that it is ever acceptable to use the words he did in any situation regardless of the heat of the moment or the personal or shared histories of the people involved. We are also not telling you how to feel about Cousins’ explanation. Our goal is only to inform fans of it and allow them to have their own thoughts and make their own decisions on the matter.
Without adding much detail, Cousins indicated that the matter had been resolved and would no longer be an issue, legally.
Cousins has not played this season although the Lakers are hopeful he may return in time for the playoffs.
I am a woman that does not believe in domestic violence or any type of abuse. I also know some women use the fact they are a woman against men. Knowing certain things shouldn’t ever be said to someone else. However, when all is good with the two, certain words are statements are acceptable, until the man is ready to move on.