DeMarcus Cousins
A dominant and volatile force at center, his All-Star talent and complex career arc made him one of the NBA's most compelling figures of the 2010s.
Born 1990 (age 36)·American basketball player·Birthday: August 13·Millennials
Biography
DeMarcus Cousins arrived in the NBA with a thunderous combination of size, skill, and temperament that defined his era. Drafted fifth overall by the Sacramento Kings in 2010, the Kentucky product quickly established himself as a nightly 20-and-10 threat, a bruising low-post scorer with surprising passing vision. His four consecutive All-Star selections from 2015 to 2018 cemented his status as the league's premier offensive center. However, his journey was a rollercoaster of technical fouls, franchise frustrations, and devastating injuries—a torn Achilles in 2018 and a torn ACL in 2019—that derailed his prime. His subsequent odyssey across multiple teams, including a key role in the Los Angeles Lakers' 2020 championship run (though he was waived before the playoffs), became a poignant story of unrealized potential and resilience. Cousins' legacy is that of a brilliant, unfinished symphony, a player whose peak was both spectacular and tragically brief.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
DeMarcus was born in 1990, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When DeMarcus Was Born
The biggest hits of 1990
#1 Movie
Home Alone
Best Picture
Dances with Wolves
#1 TV Show
Roseanne
DeMarcus's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1990Born
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1995Started school
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2003Became a teenager
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2006Could drive
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2008Could vote
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2011Turned 21
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2020Turned 30
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 36 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Named an NBA All-Star four consecutive times from 2015 to 2018.
- Earned NBA All-Rookie First Team honors with the Sacramento Kings in 2011.
- Won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
- Secured another gold medal with Team USA at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
- Recorded a career-high 56 points for the New Orleans Pelicans in a 2018 game against the Charlotte Hornets.
Did You Know?
He earned the nickname 'Boogie' from a youth football coach who said he had 'boogie in his feet.'
Cousins and fellow big man Anthony Davis were teammates at Kentucky, with the New Orleans Pelicans, and with the Los Angeles Lakers.
He led the NBA in technical fouls during three separate seasons.
In 2018, he became the first player in over 40 years to record a triple-double with at least 40 points and 20 rebounds.
“I'm not here to make friends. I'm here to win.”
