DeMarcus Cousins Doesn’t Get Why Jerry Colangelo Called Him Immature
Quite maturely and politely, DeMarcus Cousins asked USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo why he labeled him as an immature player and person through the media. Cousins is apparently still waiting for a satisfactory answer. Per the Sac Bee: “He wanted to know specifically why USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo characterized him as ‘immature’ and ‘with a long way to go’ during a teleconference with reporters Saturday. ‘I actually just had a conversation with (Colangelo),’ Cousins revealed after Monday’s scrimmage between the Select Team and members of the recently named U.S. Olympic squad. ‘I asked him, ‘How was I being immature?’ He never really gave me an answer. I mean, I really wanted to know. I took offense to it. … It definitely bothered me.’ The mini-controversy – and that’s what this is – began when Cousins stepped onto the practice court Friday and became too physical for his own good. Or, according to some of the USA Basketball types who watched the part of the session closed to the media, too physical and too aggressive for the good of the team. Too much fouling. Too much trash-talking. Too much complaining about favoritism (edge, Olympians) to the referees. Too many frowns, head shakes and frustrated hand flips. [...] On Monday, Colangelo learned Cousins won’t bare fangs when you tell him to calm down. ‘Everything’s cool,’ Colangelo said when reached later in the day. ‘He wanted an explanation. I was trying to be more encouraging than anything else.’”
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