It’s time to get hype, T1 League fans! Former NBA All-Star point guard DeMarcus Cousins is believed to be making his triumphant return to Taiwan to play for the Beer Leopards once again. Cousins played for many teams during his tenure with the NBA including the Los Angeles Lakers, the Houston Rockets, and most recently, the Denver Nuggets.
DeMarcus Cousins: Boogie is Going Back to Taiwan
Former All-American and four-time NBA All-Star power forward DeMarcus Cousins is set to return to Taiwan. While his last stint within the States was playing for the Denver Nuggets, Cousins’ last basketball team was the T1 League Taiwan Beer Leopards. Cousins, known by his fans as Boogie, attained an average of 19.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists throughout his 654 regular games in the NBA. The rumor mill has received word that Cousins is set to make a return flight to Taiwan.
Per @TheSteinLine on X, Boogie may have signed a month-and-a-half contract to resume playing for the Beer Leopards. It’s unclear exactly what led to Boogie Cousins being essentially blacklisted from the league but Bob Myers and the online basketball community may have let slip what led to it happening.
Why Did 4x NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins Leave the NBA?
Bob Myers, the former general manager for the Golden State Warriors, guest-starred on the All the Smoke podcast hosted by former New York Knicks forward Matt Barnes and former Brooklyn Nets forward Stephen Jackson back in November 2022 to discuss a phone call he had with Cousins. “DeMarcus called me a month ago and he said, ‘Why am I not in the NBA,’” Bob stated. ” I said, ‘You want that answer? … Because people are afraid of how you’re going to act.’ And he’s like ‘Why?’ And I said, ‘Well, whatever the reason is, it’s here now.’”
Basketball fans online seem to agree. A Reddit user called Cimmanonrolls said “Boogie has always had the worst body language of a player I’ve ever watched. he would consistently float in and out of games. and it sucks because he had one of the most entertaining, unique offensive packages of any big man and could bring it defensively too when locked in.”
DeMarcus Cousins Being Open About Everything
“I watched Boogie as a Kings fan for his first six seasons. He could dominate the game but he could also implode and unravel the entire team,” shared another Reddit user with the username BeemkayS60. “You could tell his antics impacted the other players. He simply could not control his emotions.”
When it came time for him to clear the air, DeMarcus Cousins actually confirmed Myers’ statement but just clarified that some words from their conversation were omitted. “The story is true,” DeMarcus shared on the Outta Pocket podcast in December 2022. “He was telling me teams are afraid of what they think I can do… One thing about this business is it’s hard to get honesty. Even if you do make a mistake, it’s hard to go and correct it because you can’t get an honest assessment of what you did wrong.”
What Does the Future Hold For DeMarcus Cousins?
Since his exodus from the NBA and before joining the Beer Leopards, Cousins went elsewhere. He signed a contract in April 2023 to join the Guaynabo Mets. They are in Puerto Rico’s Baloncesto Superior Nacional league. During the 2023 season, he averaged 20.4 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game in about 25 minutes per game. He also shot 44% from the 3-point line, and 69% in free throws. Cousins also led the team to the Playoffs and semi-finals. But the Guyanabo Mets were ejected in Game 6 and Boogie suffered from a groin injury.
With DeMarcus set to return to Taiwan to assist the Beer Leopards in a limited capacity, who’s to say he won’t join another international team to get his basketball fix? Recently, it seems the former four-time All-Star has made peace with not being considered a prospect by the NBA anymore. When asked in February by HoopsHype if he still had hopes of making a return, Demarcus Cousins said no. “I know I’ve had my time there. You know, there was a point where I was trying to make that happen. But the place I’m in my life now… outside of basketball. I’m in a good place. I’m ready to move on to the next [chapter] and see what’s in store for me.”
About the Author
Michael Omoruan is a New York native who often watches Knicks, Mavs, Giants, and Patriots games. He watches the occasional film and shows when he can, mostly those in the realm of science fiction or action/adventure. You can follow him on Instagram @MrMikeOmar and for more great content, visit us on X @TotalApexSports.
Check out all the great content Total Apex Sports has to offer. Check us out on X @TotalApexSports and our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy Sports.