Lakers appear to be big winners in Kawhi Leonard situation, but nothing is guaranteed

DeMarcus Cousins knows he can still play in the NBA. However, Cousins is done trying to convince NBA teams of that.

“I’m not going to go out trying to convince these guys anymore,” Cousins said. “You know what I bring to the floor. It’s been proven. If you really wanted to know who I am, you’d take the time to get to know me instead of listening to somebody else. I’m past trying to reach out. If an opportunity comes that makes sense, I’ll consider it, but I’m done with the convincing.”

Cousins last played in the NBA in 2022 with the Denver Nuggets. The veteran center has played for teams in Puerto Rico, Taiwan and the Philippines since then.

The former All-Star center also touched on his college career at the University of Kentucky. Cousins said if NIL had been a thing when he was at Kentucky, he would have stayed for four years. As it was, he said he appreciated John Calipari being honest with him about what was best for Cousins and his family.

“Cal told me, ‘If you want to take care of my family, you can stay. If you want to take care of yours, you’re out of here.’ That’s real. And it took a coach like him to understand both sides,” Cousins said about Calipari. “We’ve all heard the horror stories of coaches holding guys back, and they miss their shot. Cal understood it was bigger than basketball-it was about life.”

USC freshman guard Bronny James will enter the 2024 NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility and will also enter the transfer portal, he said Friday on Instagram.

James had been expected to have a major impact on USC after earning McDonald’s All-American honors in high school, but a July cardiac arrest episode and a procedure to treat a congenital heart defect sidelined him for five months and severely impacted his productivity as a freshman at USC.

James averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 19 minutes a game.