In unpleasant news from Puerto Rico, former four-time NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins got into a skirmish that saw him throw multiple punches.
Currently a member of the Mets de Guaynabo, the former Sacramento Kings big man was ejected from a game against the Vaqueros de Bayamon on Monday amid a tense altercation with a fan, before things got worse in the tunnel. As he was escorted away from the court, Cousins had almost gotten all the way down the tunnel before a different fan threw beer at him, immediately enraging Cousins, who tried to go after him.
Cousins Already Had Scuffle With Another Fan
What had lit Cousins’ fuse in the first place was a different altercation on the other side of the court.
Although it is not clear what words were being exchanged between the pair – or what had been taking place throughout the course of the game up until that point – a video from immediately prior to Cousins’ ejection showed him grabbing his crotch area defiantly, while the fan made rude gestures back. Cousins grabbed the fan’s gesturing hands, and shoves ensued, before former New York Knicks swingman Theo Pinson stepped in to separate the two.
As above, Cousins was ejected from the game, which came towards the end of a 101-91 loss. It was a result which sunk the Mets to a 9-18 record and second-last place in Conference A of Puerto Rico’s BSN.
With their season fading into obscurity, and the road loss to their rival Bayamon all but closing the door on their playoffs aspirations, Guaynabo – coached by former Dallas Mavericks point guard J.J. Barea – were in a tough spot. It was a pressure-cooker environment, with a boisterous and the game going against them. And Cousins – who has always had a shorter temper than most – lost his composure.
Echoes of the “Malice at the Palace”
The way in which Cousins tried to go into the crowd to confront a fan who poured beer on him will remind many NBA fans of the so-called “Malice in the Palace” of more than 20 years ago.
In that incident, a fan throwing a beer at the Indiana Pacers’ Ron Artest – lying prone on the scorer’s table for whatever reason – inflamed Artest, who charged into the stands. Assisted by teammate Stephen Jackson, Artest began swinging at the fan whom he thought did it, leading to chaotic scenes in which violence spilled into the seats and then back onto the court.
Fortunately for everyone involved, Cousins’s apparent attempt at confrontation was unsuccessful. The four-man security team who were chaperoning him down the tunnel were able to subdue him, and after a few seconds of struggle, Cousins relented, and returned to the locker room.
Cousins last played in the NBA for the Denver Nuggets in the 2021â22 season and has been continuing his career across the world since. This is his second stint in Puerto Rico with the Mets, and he had played in the BSN’s All-Star game as recently as this weekend. It is unclear at this time what the repercussions for him will be.
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