For Sacramento Kings C DeMarcus Cousins, positivity is vital.
Cousins isn't shy or ashamed about admitting that his attitude hasn't always been the greatest. Now that he's undeniably the main man for his team, though, he's realizing that his attitude rubs off on his fellow players. After enduring a rough patch that saw coach Mike Malone fired, Cousins says it's absolutely vital that players keep the faith in Sacramento's system.
“Guys are buying in, probably the biggest thing, tired of being that same team,” Cousins told the Boston Globe. “New mind-sets. We all have the same goal, winning at the end of the night. I think it shows. It’s just the focus level. I come in with a lot of responsibility every night. I think I’m focused more on that rather than some of the outside things that used to affect my game.”
“Guys used to come in and look at us and say, ‘This is an easy win for us.’ I don’t think people really feel that way now. I think we have a tough-minded group and a physically tough group as well. That’s a mentality I embrace and I think other guys embrace as well. That wasn’t always the case at first. I think that’s something that’s developed over time.”
“There’s been a lot of ups and downs throughout my career and all I can do is stay as positive as possible,” Cousins said. “There’s light at the end of the tunnel. That’s the biggest thing you can look forward to. That’s what I tell myself all the time, ‘It’s not as bad as it was before.’ I’m in a better place than I was before.
“The whole reputation thing, I’m over. People can think what they want to think. The only people who really matter are the guys on the team. It’s easy to kick somebody when they’re down, and I feel like that was the case [with me].”
The Kings host the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, hoping to improve to 3-1 on their current five-game homestand.
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