The Best Moments From DeMarcus Cousins’ Brutally Honest Pelicans Press Conference

DeMarcus Cousins and Omri Casspi were introduced officially as the newest members of the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday morning after the blockbuster trade between the Pelicans and the Kings had been finalized.

Cousins appeared in front of the New Orleans media for the first time and was very open about his feelings towards the trade and how he was planning on moving forward as a member of the Pelicans. Cousins was asked if he’d spoken to the Kings since the trade happened, and said flatly that he didn’t answer GM Vlade Divac’s call.

The reason Cousins wasn’t trying to hear the Kings side of the trade was that he wasn’t happy with how everything went down. Not that they would trade him, but that they would do so after insisting to him that they wanted to keep him there long-term. Cousins said the most hurtful thing about the trade was the dishonesty of the Kings.

Cousins said he tried to understand the trade from the Kings perspective when it happened, and that this deal has made him fully realize that basketball is a business. He’s moving on and moving forward with the Pelicans and says he doesn’t have ill will towards the Kings, but it’s clear that the way everything went down, he isn’t too keen on trying to keep the lines of communication with the Kings brass open.

The best moment of his press conference came when he was asked about how competitive he was, and Cousins smiled and responded “about 17 technicals worth.”

As for his future in New Orleans, Cousins seems pretty excited to get going with his new superstar teammate (and fellow former Kentucky Wildcat) Anthony Davis. Cousins said he and Davis could be “fire and ice” together on the court because their games complement each other so well.

Cousins also said that Davis had been actively recruiting him to come to New Orleans this offseason. Now he finds himself with the Pelicans for a trial run before becoming a free agent this offseason.

In all, Cousins was extremely honest about his feelings towards the trade, both in being hurt that he had to leave Sacramento and in being excited to play alongside Davis in New Orleans. Coach Alvin Gentry seemed excited to have Cousins on board, noting that while it might take a little time for everyone to get comfortable with each other on the court, he can see the seemingly limitless potential of the Cousins and Davis duo. The two will get a chance to make their debut on Thursday night on TNT against the Houston Rockets.