DeMarcus Cousins, a former All-NBA center, has voiced his criticism of the Los Angeles Lakers regarding their decision to draft Bronny James, the son of his ex-teammate LeBron James. Cousins, who had a notable career before injuries took their toll, isn’t shy about sharing his thoughts on the team’s current direction.
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The Lakers picked Bronny with the No. 55 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft despite his underwhelming stats during his freshman season at USC. Over 25 games, he averaged just 4.8 points, along with 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists, while shooting poorly from the field.
In the preseason, Bronny’s struggles continued. In four games, he notched only 1.0 point per game, averaging more turnovers (1.3) than points and shooting 12.5 percent from the field.
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Reflecting on his own career, Cousins had his share of injuries, including a torn Achilles and ACL, which hindered his time with the Lakers during their championship season. Despite this, he received a ring for his brief stint with the team.
On FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back,” Cousins remarked on how he feels the Lakers missed opportunities to strengthen their roster after last season’s disappointing end, where they were eliminated in the first round by the Denver Nuggets. He expressed doubts about the team’s commitment to competing.
“I don’t really think the Lakers are serious anymore,” he stated. While he admires LeBron’s impact both on and off the court, he believes the Lakers’ offseason moves have not shown a serious commitment to winning.
However, Cousins did have some praise for the Lakers’ first-round draft pick, Dalton Knecht, who has been performing better in the preseason. He noted Knecht’s potential to make an immediate impact on the team.
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