DeMarcus Cousins looking to learn from LeBron James after signing with Los Angeles Lakers
Friday 12 July 2019 16:39, UK
DeMarcus Cousins said he is looking forward to learning from LeBron James after signing with the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency.
The four-time All-Star, who spent last season with the Golden State Warriors as he battled back to full fitness after suffering an Achilles tendon injury, signed a one-year deal on July 6 to join LeBron James and former New Orleans Pelicans team-mates Rajon Rondo and Anthony Davis in a new-look Lakers line-up."
"Rondo and LeBron threw a pitch to get me here. I really talked a lot with Rondo and they basically kidnapped me and made me come here!" he jokingly told Sportsnet Spectrum after arriving in Los Angeles.
"No, they are two really good friends of mine. [Rondo and I] have had a chance to play together and be team-mates previously [with the Pelicans] and we enjoyed our time together. We've always talked about teaming back up and the opportunity presented itself."
Asked about the allure of playing with three-time NBA champion James, Cousins said he was focused on "learning from a Hall of Famer, one of the greatest to ever lace up sneakers."
"I will take in as much information as possible, learn from him, follow his lead," he said. "He has been here plenty of times.
"I'll look to enjoy the ride at the same time. That [outlook] helped me a lot in Golden State. To come here where things will be magnified 100 times more than in Golden State, it just helps. I know what to expect, I can prepare myself for it and just manoeuvre through that.
"I'm 100 per cent healed with my quad and I'm working my tail off every day to get in the best shape possible for the start of the season. It's just 'off-season grind' right now.
Despite missing out on adding Kawhi Leonard to their 2019-20 roster, the Lakers have plenty of experience and star power in the form of James, Davis and Cousins.
However, NBA TV analyst Rex Chapman believes the health of their superstar players will be key given the top-heavy nature of the Lakers roster.
"If LeBron comes back like the LeBron we saw a year ago, the Lakers will be good anyway. The health of James, Anthony Davis and Cousins will always be a bit of a concern there," he said.
"With [this Lakers team], it is going to be about how often these guys can get on the floor together during the season. [Can they] find some camaraderie out there? You go through battles in the regular season that prepare you for the playoffs. It's going to take some time. I want to see how they gel. I think we'll see some other tweaks made."
"I think [Anthony Davis] can have an MVP-type season. He should be fresh and ready to go. He didn't play a lot last season. I would think he is hungry and ready to get back to that dominant player that he has been since he has been in the league.
"When he is right and when he is healthy, there aren't more than three or four better players in the entire league."
