On May 19, 2018, Cousins posted a picture to Twitter and Instagram that showed Wilkins moments after he ruptured his Achilles. It gave Cousins hope and he praised the legend’s comeback. Shortly after, the two NBA stars connected. “I reached out to him,” Wilkins told HoopsHype. “I told him, ‘Don’t listen to all of the critics. Nobody knows your heart the way that you do. Use that to your advantage. Don’t let all of the critics dictate who you are.’”
More on DeMarcus Cousins Injury
Some fans questioned why Wilkins has been willing to help a rival player, considering he is Atlanta’s Vice President of Basketball and Cousins obviously plays for the Warriors. However, for Wilkins, this is much bigger than competing with Golden State. “People look at it and ask why I’m lighting a fire in a guy who isn’t on my team, but, to me, that doesn’t matter,” Wilkins explained. “It’s not about that! It’s about helping someone continue to fulfill their dreams. That’s what was the most important thing to me because, look, I’ve been through it! I’ve been through this. I know what he’s dealing with.”
After getting to know Cousins throughout this process, Wilkins has become a big believer in the former Kentucky product. “I would be very surprised if he didn’t come back and get back to the level he once was at,” Wilkins said. “He’s a guy who absolutely loves to play. He plays with emotion. He plays with a fire. And the good thing for him is he was a lot younger at 27 years old [than I was when I had the injury]. He’s a guy who’s really committed. We’ve had some great conversations. I love his game. I really do love his game,” Wilkins continued. “He plays with a lot of emotion and passion, and I have no problem with that. He’s a guy who’s always going to play hard and he’s going to go after guys. He plays with a chip on his shoulder, and that’s what makes you great. He’s one of those throwback guys [who remind me] of the players you’d see back when I played. He’s that kind of guy.”
Cousins is confident he will be able to return to his All-Star form over time. "I'm back, and I'm not looking back," Cousins said. "I'm moving forward. I'm leaving it on the floor every night. And I plan on coming back for that top spot."
Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins, who is making his season debut on Friday on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers, attempted to get cleared to return from injury a few weeks ago, league sources told Yahoo Sports. Cousins, who tore his left Achilles tendon almost a full year ago, was intent on speeding up his timeline to return, but the organization wanted to implement a 10-minute playing restriction, league sources said.
How do you think you're gonna come back a different player than you were when we last saw you? Cousins: Well, obviously, I won't be the same player. I've gotten better. (laughs) So you know, a lot of things have changed in my game. You start to tune up other areas of your game: jump shooting, skill work. I think everything has just increased and gotten better.
Have those parts of your personality really come forward in this last few months? Cousins: Oh, they've gotten worse. (laughs) A lot worse. Nichols: So you're coming back more stubborn than you left us? Cousins: Absolutely. Absolutely. Nichols: Should the officials be concerned? Cousins: Nah. They're on my good side -- right now.
Ringer NBA: Oh... (via Draymond Green)
Anthony Slater: Warriors have talked behind the scenes about the importance of dropping DeMarcus Cousins into smooth waters. Despite turbulence, appears they will. Fifth straight W tonight, a blowout in Denver. Everyone healthy, vibe around team best it's been in a couple months.
Nick Friedell: Kerr says Warriors will be cautious with minutes as they start this back-to-back but DeMarcus Cousins will not play Wednesday night vs. Pelicans. He remains on track to play Friday at Staples vs. Clippers.
Nick DePaula: EXCLUSIVE: DeMarcus Cousins will debut with the Warriors on Friday in this Puma Clyde Court PE. Shoes feature a racing flag graphic and @BoogieCousins’ mantra “The Marathon Continues...” as he returns to action.
Anthony Slater: DeMarcus Cousins is still on track for a Friday return in Los Angeles, Steve Kerr says.
Dominique Wilkins could hear the melancholy in DeMarcus Cousins’ voice last June. Five months removed from a season-ending Achilles injury, Cousins’ career was suddenly in doubt: Would anyone pick him up in free agency? Could he play at an All-Star level again? During that phone conversation, Wilkins told Cousins not to worry about his critics because “no one knows your heart like you do.” The Hall of Famer’s message resonated. Twenty-six years earlier, Wilkins was 32 when he tore his right Achilles tendon, only to come back nine months later and make two more All-NBA teams.
“People always doubt people first before they give people credit for how quickly they can come back from those types of injuries, but it depends on the person,” Wilkins said. “I think DeMarcus is a guy who’s put the work in and is going to be fine.” The breakthrough for Cousins came in the past couple of weeks, when he started to show flashes of dominance in workouts. Finally, after almost 12 months of rehab, Cousins looked self-assured as he leapt for rebounds and threw down dunks. Instead of worrying about his surgically repaired left Achilles tendon, the four-time All-Star was able to play on instinct.
Through a handful of phone calls, DeMarcus Cousins received a blueprint on how to overcome the biggest challenge of his nine-year NBA career. Well before he could even begin his rehab, Cousins contacted one of the NBA’s best dunkers (former Atlanta Hawks forward Dominique Wilkins), one of the league’s best scorers (former Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant), a former teammate (San Antonio Spurs forward Rudy Gay) and a dependable NBA role player (Dallas Mavericks guard Wesley Mathews). Shortly after the Warriors signed Cousins to a one-year $5.3 million deal last July with their mid-level taxpayer exception, Cousins spoke with the Warriors’ other free agent acquisition (Jonas Jerebko).
“I wasn’t really looking for a specific answer to get through it,” Cousins said. “I wanted to see what each guy’s mindset was and compare it to my own.” Each players’ journey has been different. They mostly stressed similar messages, though. While Wilkins advised Cousins “not to listen to the critics,” Gay instructed Cousins, “don’t feel sorry for yourself.” A few months following Cousins’ surgery on Jan. 31, 2018, Mathews told him “to take his time.” Shortly after the two became teammates last summer, Jerebko argued the same thing.
That date is soon approaching. Then, Cousins hopes to write his comeback story. He already has learned plenty on how others wrote theirs. “It’s really tested me as a person, a man and an athlete,” Cousins said. “I had a lot of dark days and a lot of good days. I questioned myself a lot. But I found a way to overcome all of those bad feelings. I see the light at the end of the tunnel and extremely excited to be out on there on the floor.”
Cousins, who signed a one-year deal with the Warriors last summer, will make his long-awaited return to the floor after rehabbing a torn left Achilles tendon he suffered Jan. 26, 2018. "He'll start," Kerr said after Thursday's practice. "I'll start him. After that, everything's on the table. We have to figure out what the rotations will look like, how many minutes he can play. We'll have to play around with the minutes, the combinations, the sets. "We haven't had a player like him here before. So it will be new; it won't be as simple [as] plug him in and he'll fit right in. We're going to play through him some so there will be a period where we all have to adapt. Fortunately we're halfway through the year, we have a lot of games to figure this out."
Anthony Slater: Steve Kerr won’t commit to that DeMarcus Cousins Jan. 18th return for sure, but confirms team has recently agreed to timetable right around then pic.twitter.com/Drh648aort
Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins is targeting the Jan. 18 game at the LA Clippers for his season debut, a source told The Undefeated's Marc Spears. The four-time All-Star has not played since rupturing his left Achilles tendon as a member of the New Orleans Pelicans on Jan. 26, 2018, against the Houston Rockets.
Cousins was expected to sign a max extension last summer prior to the injury. He is hoping to show prospective teams that he is fully healthy in anticipation of landing a big extension this summer, all while potentially helping Golden State to a third straight title.
Marc J. Spears: Warriors coach Steve Kerr says he plans to incorporate DeMarcus Cousins over next 20 games although it sounds sooner rather than later. “It’s closer now. The conditioning has got over a barrier,” Kerr said. Kerr wouldn’t offer a date.
Connor Letourneau: Kerr said he’s seen tremendous improvement in Cousins’ conditioning. Still not ready to put a timetable on his return, however.
Mark Medina: Steve Kerr said DeMarcus Cousins practiced today, but no update on his progress pic.twitter.com/TKlG6QLZ7v
Michael Gallagher: DeMarcus Cousins just went through a little pre-game shooting workout. Threw down some alley-oops and made a bunch of jumpers.
Nick Friedell: Myers still doesn’t want to put a return date on when DeMarcus Cousins will be back but he likes the progress Cousins continues to make in rehab. “I think we’re nearing the finish line,” Myers said. Warriors still have extra roster spot to add center via trade or buyout market.
There may not be an NBA player more excited to ring in the new year than DeMarcus Cousins. “It’s been the longest year of my life,” Cousins, 28, told The Undefeated. “I’m looking forward to the new year and the new blessings. New tests. New excitement. Fresh year. Fresh start. … “I’ll put it as simple as possible, 2018 was the most difficult and challenging year of my life. I’m extremely excited for 2019.”
Cousins is expected to take a leave of absence from the Warriors to attend his grandmother’s funeral on Jan. 4 in his hometown of Mobile. “She was the foundation of the family,” a teary-eyed Cousins said. “So, I’m going into 2019 with that. She was everything for us. … She was the root of our family. To lose a vital piece like that to our family is devastating to everyone. “She lived an incredible and very long life. She went out happy. She went out painless. I couldn’t have asked for a better life for my grandma.”
Mark Medina: Steve Kerr said DeMarcus Cousins’ scrimmage went “fine,” but he said there’s a reason why there was a curtain up. In other words, Steve didn’t offer details
“It’s not about my Achilles, not about one specific part of my body; it’s my entire body. It’s about being out of shape, taking a year off basketball, then jumping into an NBA game. That leaves you pretty open to get another injury, like a hammy strain.” The Warriors are also going to ask him to defend like he never has before. They know the teams that matter will target him, will drag him out on the perimeter, will leverage the Warriors’ switching scheme to test his recovered leg, his lateral movement (never one of his strengths) and willingness to defend at a playoff level, a foreign world to Cousins.
The Warriors could wait, could win while they stall, could toss the idea of him into the distance and yawn toward a 22-11 record while he recovered on the side, out of sight. But then is quickly becoming now. The holidays are here, January is approaching, Cousins still isn’t ready and the Warriors are starting to twiddle their thumbs a bit. “It’s almost 2019,” one team source said. “The clock’s starting to tick.”
But other times, he’ll show up gloomy. There won’t be as much interest in his work, life in his voice, optimism in his vibe, movement in his legs, hope in the process. “It’s a lot of sore days,” Cousins told The Athletic. “There are days I really ache. I do a lot of lower-body training. So there are days where my legs just feel like cement blocks and I can barely move. Then there are days where I feel like a feather on the floor.”
There’s a belief within the Warriors that the first few weeks of Cousins’ return will be crucial, that the early days will become the arrow that points this experiment down either a fruitful or frustrating path. There’s been a sigh of relief that, at least for now, Cousins is projected to join a healthy rotation and relaxed atmosphere, not the injured, frayed November mess.
Kerith Burke: DeMarcus dunks KD off the planet
After facing three more questions about DeMarcus Cousins’ rehab progress, Kerr, a little bit tired of the subject, delivered an answer that should end any bubbling optimism that Cousins could make his return before the calendar year ends. “We’re not really that close,” Kerr said. “I don’t want this to be about: ‘Hey, we’re right there.’ We’re not right there. It’s still going to be some time. We’re going to be patient and continue to give DeMarcus the space he needs to prepare. When the time is right, we’ll have some things planned for him.”
Connor Letourneau: Steve Kerr on Cousins: “We’re not really that close (to his return). ... It’s still going to be some time.”
Mark Medina: Steve Kerr said Rick Celebrini informed him that DeMarcus Cousins "had a really good day" with his practice today at Santa Cruz.
Nick Friedell: Kerr says the plan is for DeMarcus Cousins to practice with Santa Cruz Monday. Cousins practiced with Warriors on Sunday. Still no target date set for his return.
Mark Medina: DeMarcus Cousins and Kevin Durant doing some 1 on 1 work pic.twitter.com/WWkjlOy5pB
After practicing twice this week with Golden State’s G League affiliate in Santa Cruz, center DeMarcus Cousins isn’t necessarily close to making his Warriors debut. "That’s why we still don’t have a timetable," Golden State head coach Steve Kerr said. "He needs to feel confident with the Achilles, his conditioning, his rhythm, his timing and everything else. We’re not going to rush him back. We’re going to help him through that process. When it happens, it happens."
After running Cousins through a practice Wednesday morning, Santa Cruz Warriors head coach Aaron Miles conceded that Cousins is "probably not moving as well as he wants to right now."
There had been speculation in recent weeks that he would return sometime around New Year’s Day. That seems increasingly unlikely, with a February return probably more plausible.
There is still no timetable for Cousins' return from a torn Achilles tendon, but the four-time All-Star center is definitely getting close. "We want to make sure he's really comfortable with his conditioning and movement before we put him out there," Kerr said. "Everything has come along nicely. This is not about a doctor saying he can't play. It's more about when he's ready to go out there and perform well."
“If my life depended on it, I can go out and play a game,” said Cousins, who admitted he doesn’t have a target return date in mind. “But I want to be 100 percent or as close to 100 percent as I can be. I want my body in tip-top shape — it’s not even about the Achilles. It’s about my other body parts and making sure everything is fine-tuned and in the best shape possible to go out and play a full game.”
“It was my idea,” Cousins said. “I wanted to come down because before I wanted to step foot on the floor, I wanted to get in some type of basketball rhythm. That’s something that me and the trainers kind of butted heads about. They had their idea of getting ready for a game and I have mine. So the last thing I wanted to do was go from doing drill work to two-on-two or three-on-three [scrimmages] straight into an NBA game.”
Adam Johnson: Cousins on possibly playing in Santa Cruz: "I don't know, we'll see what happens. I'll discuss with Bob (Myers) and some of the guys at the top and once we come together and figure something out I'm pretty sure you guys will know."
Logan Murdock: DeMarcus Cousins on his Achilles rehab: "It's really tested me as a person, as a man, as an athlete. I've had a lot of dark days, a lot of good days. I've questioned myself a lot but I've found a way to overcome all those bad feelings so I see the light at the end of the tunnel."
Logan Murdock: DeMarcus Cousins said he played 5-on-5 in 3 six-seven minute quarters. Boogie said he could play in an NBA game if his “life depended on it.” pic.twitter.com/SiW7L54xLu
Ohm Youngmisuk: DeMarcus Cousins says he’s gone through “a lot of dark days, a lot of good days” and has “questioned” himself a lot. But he says he’s “grown” a ton since injuring his Achilles. Cousins says his wind was better than expected today and that he’s not worried about his Achilles. pic.twitter.com/MzjiNvAUH1
Adam Johnson: SOON. pic.twitter.com/b1dYSBI13b
Marc J. Spears: Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins is expected to practice with the G-League Santa Cruz Warriors on Monday, a source told @espn @TheUndefeated.
Nick Friedell: No new update on Cousins. Kerr likes the way he’s progressing in practices but no target date set. Warriors didn’t scrimmage today.
Adam Johnson: Spoke with @GLeagueWarriors GM Kent Lacob about the possibility of DeMarcus Cousins practicing/playing with Santa Cruz. Said that Cousins is excited about the opportunity to play in the G League.
Reid Forgrave: Just watched Boogie Cousins drain 8 threes in a row in warm-ups here in Milwaukee. He looks great; Steve Kerr expects him back within a few weeks. A fully healthy Warriors are going to be SCARY.
After the Warriors’ practice Sunday afternoon at Detroit Mercy, I watched for about 20 minutes as Cousins participated in a 5-on-5 scrimmage. My biggest takeaway was that, if it were the playoffs, he could play now and contribute. He was throwing down alley-oop dunks and moving with relative ease. At this point, Cousins just needs to improve his conditioning a bit to be completely game-ready.
In the immediate, the loss isn’t as concerning. Cousins is entering the final stages of his rehab and should debut somewhere around the New Year. He took part in a scrimmage after practice on Sunday in Detroit and dunked a few times. “DeMarcus is making some strides,” Kerr said. “He’s looking a lot better to me the last couple days, the intensity of his workouts. He took part in every aspect of practice. … He will fully take part in every practice we have this week, every shootaround.”
Anthony Slater: DeMarcus Cousins is “making strides,” Steve Kerr said. He will fully take part in every Warriors practice from here on out. pic.twitter.com/yHfbaZNp8r
Warriors’ center DeMarcus Cousins is targeting a return from his torn Achilles sometime after Christmas, sources told the Bay Area News Group. According to those sources, the determination was made during a meeting on Friday between Cousins and Golden State’s training staff, including head trainer Rick Celebrini.
There have been no setbacks in his recovery process and the decision to push his target date back was made so Cousins can regain his conditioning and enter the lineup at peak form. ... Cousins – who signed a one-year, $5.2 million deal in July – participated in a scrimmage alongside Stephen Curry Saturday before the team’s 117-116 victory over the Kings. According to a player in the scrimmage, Cousins looked “solid.” The scrimmages have been a part of Cousins’ new six-day a week regimen with the team in anticipation of his pending return.
Mark Medina: Steve Kerr says there's no official update on DeMarcus Cousins. Kerr said that Cousins keeps advancing with his rehab program. He's ramped up conditioning, but hasn't scrimmaged yet. Possible update next week.
Mark Medina: Steve Kerr says there's no official update on DeMarcus Cousins. Kerr said that Cousins keeps advancing with his rehab program. He's ramped up conditioning, but hasn't scrimmaged yet. Possible update next week
Eddie Sefko: DeMarcus Cousins just came out to the court and he made a wrong turn. He got halfway to the Mavericks' bench and realized he needed to make a U-turn. Cousins, by the way, has been doing two-on-two work and is progressing in his comeback from ACL, coach Steve Kerr said.
Mark Medina: DeMarcus Cousins getting some full-court non-contact work in. pic.twitter.com/ipWVDX2ruh
DeMarcus Cousins took part in practice with the Golden State Warriors for the first time, although there was still no timetable for his return to game action. Cousins joined the Warriors in their workout Thursday night in New York, where they will play the Knicks on Friday. The All-Star center's work on the court thus far had been limited to individual and 1-on-1 drills as he recovers from a ruptured left Achilles tendon.
Mark Medina: Warrior say DeMarcus Cousins "in the near future," will be "integrated into controlled aspects of team practices, although no scrimmages at this point."
As for the game, Cousins sat on the bench in his warmups and uniform, instead of behind the bench in a suit, initially stationed next to Andre Iguodala before Iguodala entered the game. That was part of the plan hatched by the Warriors coaching staff. “The only thing we talked about last week was that we wanted him on the bench with the guys,” Kerr said. “He wanted to be there. It wasn’t like we had to twist his arm or anything. We want him out there sitting next to his teammates, sitting next to coaches, communicating and seeing how it all works with us. He was really communicating with Damian quite a bit tonight. It was good to see.”
Mark Medina: DeMarcus Cousins still doing non-contact drills. But Steve Kerr said he has increased workload with team - 5-o-0 skill work and defensive drills.
Mark Medina: DeMarcus Cousins doing some half-court work pic.twitter.com/J5baezTVrF
I’ll be back at 100% this season. A year from now, looking back, I know this is going to be the best decision I ever made.
A day into Warriors training camp, DeMarcus Cousins is making solid progress in his rehab from a torn left Achilles tendon. “I don’t think it will take too long before he takes part in practice,” Golden State head coach Steve Kerr said Tuesday afternoon. “But for right now, it’s important he gets his full workout with the training staff.” The 6-foot-11 center, entering his eighth NBA season, will be re-evaluated by team trainers Oct. 22, which rules him out of the team’s five preseason games and its first three regular-season games. Odds are, of course, that he’ll miss more time.
“DeMarcus did a ton of movement stuff, court work, ballhandling and shooting stuff on his own,” Kerr said, “but he did not take part with the team. We’re just taking it slowly with him.” Added 6-foot-9 forward Jordan Bell, who is competing for the starting center job in Cousins’ absence: “He’s getting better every day. These last two weeks, he’s been working out with little drills that we do. “He can still shoot and can still handle the ball. He’s obviously not 100 percent healthy yet, but you can tell every single day he’s getting better and better.”
Cousins is motivated to return better than ever and believes that the Warriors have scary potential: "My drive has only increased. I'm seriously like a madman right now. I think you guys will see a new DeMarcus on the floor. I can't wait to get to that point just to show all the work I have put in, into this injury. I think you'll see it when the product is on the floor. But when it comes to this team, I mean, it's basically there. You can see it on paper. On paper it looks great. Of course we've got to go in and put the work in, but the potential is scary for this team, and it's on us to bring that potential out."
Still, the Warriors aren’t ready to set a target date for his return. A loaded roster ensures that Cousins can take all the time he needs to return to the court. “I know there’s a narrative that we’ll save DeMarcus for the playoffs, and that’s inaccurate,” general manager Bob Myers said. “When he can play, he’ll play. We won’t rush him, but we also won’t hold him back.”
Nick Friedell: DeMarcus Cousins says his rehab from an Achilles injury has been 'a grind' but he hasn't had any setbacks over the last few months. He says people will see a whole new player when he returns to the floor.
