In a piece for The Player’s Tribune published Thursday, DeMarcus Cousins wrote that joining the Warriors this summer was the “best basketball decision” he’s ever made.
After it became clear to him that there was no future in New Orleans, the All-Star big man actually initiated contact with Golden State GM Bob Myers, who thought it was a joke at first:
I couldn’t sleep for two days. When it was clear I couldn’t stay in New Orleans, I went out and created what would end up being the best opportunity for myself. I asked my agent to set up a call with the Warriors. I knew they could use a big.
I called Bob Myers up.
On God, Bob thought it was a prank. He asked us like five times if we were being serious. I broke it down as clear as I could. I told him about the Pelicans and how nothing was making sense anymore. I told him it was like other teams were treating me like I didn’t have a career left after the injury. And I said I’d take the minimum. I just wanted a team that wanted me. I was telling him: I wanted to play on the biggest stage and make the most impact I could. After that, Bob wasn’t thinking it was a prank.
Cousins went on to highlight how the Warriors have embraced him since his decision, stating that there were “no egos about adding another guy to the lineup.”
I wasn’t sure how they’d take the idea of me coming on board. It’s the back-to-back defending champs. I was half expecting them to not want to add anything new to that machine.
But, it was the opposite. They couldn’t have been any more cool with it.
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