It’s been over a decade since DeMarcus Cousins was making grown men look like toddlers at Lexington. He was an unstoppable force on campus, dominating on both ends of the glass.

Cousins eventually went to the Sacramento Kings with the fifth-overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, becoming a perennial All-Star and one of the most polarizing figures in the league.

But looking back on his early days, he knows that none of that would’ve been possible if it weren’t for his days on campus. That’s why he admitted that those days were the most important of his career.

DeMarcus Cousins credits days at Kentucky for his career

“The day I stepped foot on the UK campus, it was go time. Go time, no looking back. I’m like, ‘Oh, this is it.’ I mean, til this day, my best years ever when it comes to basketball — at any level,” Cousins said on the ‘Run Your Race’ podcast. “That place is always gonna have a place in my heart. I mean, they helped me — it wouldn’t be no Boogie without that place. It wouldn’t even exist, you know what I mean?”

DeMarcus Cousins

DeMarcus Cousins

Unfortunately, his bad reputation and some injury issues derailed Cousins’ career to the point where some believe he was blackballed and pushed out of the league.

But those who watched him play and dominate when he was in his prime can attest to his talent and work ethic, and he clearly deserved better from the game he gave up so much to.

ernesto cova