Kentucky basketball alum DeMarcus Cousins reveals what would have kept him in school 4 years
09/10/2024 04:01 PM
University of Kentucky basketball alum Demarcus Cousins recently told HoopsHype that if there were NIL deals when he was in college, that would have made him stay with the Wildcats for all four years.
"If I had NIL deals back in my day, I would have stayed four years at Kentucky, no doubt,” Cousins said. “Man, we brought Kentucky back from the shadows, and the timing of it would have been perfect. I'd have made five million easy. I would have made more than my rookie contract in the NBA, so why not stay?"
Cousins had quite the accomplishments even in his one-and-done year with the Wildcats. He won the 2009-10 SEC Rookie of the Year, the All-SEC team and a consensus All-American. At this time, name, image, and likeness (NIL) hadn’t come to fruition yet. Players weren’t getting paid anything to play at a university. However, Cousins’s journey changed after a heart-to-heart conversation with head coach John Calipari.
"Cal told me, 'If you want to take care of my family, you can stay,'” Cousins said. “If you want to take care of yours, you're out of here.' That's real. And it took a coach like him to understand both sides. We've all heard the horror stories of coaches holding guys back, and they miss their shot (to get in the NBA). Cal understood it was bigger than basketball—it was about life."
Once he left Lexington, Cousins blossomed into a superstar. As the fifth overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft, he went to the Sacramento Kings where he put them on the map. Cousins averaged 21.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, and three assists per game. His mix of bully-ball in the low post, along with his face-up game made him a mold for future NBA centers to follow.
Why would Demarcus Cousins stay with Kentucky basketball?
Although DeMarcus Cousins was paid in the NBA, his rookie contract wasn’t so sweet. He signed a four-year, $15.8 million contract. Current 2024 first-overall pick Zaccharie Risacher inked a four-year, $57 million contract. Even though money continues in the NBA thanks to time, however, the NCAA implemented NIL in 2021. Athletes and programs are banking on NIL, especially when they recommit to a university after declaring for the NBA Draft.
With programs like Georgia football investing over $20 million in NIL money, the structure of college athletics has changed. Bigger and bigger programs are funneling money into NIL to obtain a National championship. Some of Cousins’s teammates would’ve had a similar outlook too. Guards Eric Bledsoe and John Wall were also with Cousins at Kentucky. The former Kentucky big man hit a sentiment that too many previous college players might feel.
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