Should the Sacramento Kings retire DeMarcus Cousins’ jersey?

Should the Sacramento Kings retire DeMarcus Cousins’ jersey?

wrap things up. All right, so when I went to break, did a little teaser on Demarcus Cousins Boogie, one of the great Sacramento Kings we’ve ever seen. Certainly more controversial than some of the others that have been great. But, uh, it is Demarcus Cousins birthday. We’ll have more on that coming up on Celebrity Birthdays. Excuse me. U, but happy birthday to Demarcus. Um, but every time I think about Demarcus Cousins, I think about where he kind of falls in in the history of the Sacramento Kings. And to me, Demarcus, it’s not really even a um statistical debate. It’s more of um I don’t even know how to put it. not not moral but like because statistically Demarcus Cousins I think there’s no doubt in my mind that he would belong as a player that has done enough to warrant having a jersey retired and maybe that’s a debate for some of you like I mean Demarcus I think if you’re really looking at it has the most t I mean maybe the most talented Sacramento King if not the short list has to be Demarcus, Chris Weber, Mitch Richmond, Fox Sabonis. I mean, that’s kind of the group we’re talking about. And Fox and Sabonis, that’ll be another conversation point. Sabonis is still here. Fox has a lot of the all-time leaders uh statwise, but Demarcus Cousins recently was talking about um in whose podcast was this? Oh, Eddie House and Mike Bby. And they were talking about Jersey retirement said quote, “It would be an honor. That was something that I wanted and strive for as far as why I tried to go out and perform every night. Accolade-wise, I did everything right in that jersey under the organization regarding all-stars, all NBA selections, numbers, and gold medals. I think I put put my work in and earn my stripes. Demarcus, uh, his numbers were impressive. Seven years in Sacramento, 21 points, 10.8 rebounds, three assists, shot almost 46%, 32 from three. He was versatile. Um, made all-star teams, made all NBA. I mean, if you look at Sacramento’s history um of retired numbers, here’s the list in while in Sacramento. We know there’s other jerseys up there from um the other timeline in Sacramento, you know, Kansas City, Rochester, and so on and so forth. But if we’re going just Sacramento, these are the people that have had their jersey retired. And we start with Mitch Richmond number two is up in the rafters. Chris Weber’s number four is up in the rafters. You have the fans number six is up in the rafters. Pas number uh 16 is in the rafters and Vlad’s number 21 is up in the rafters. So, when you think about all-time Sacramento leaders, Demarcus is up there in in many of the categories. And really, it’s been more about um what personality um kind of the offthe- court things that have happened for Demarcus. And that’s fair. I mean, I get that. But you as a Kings fan, when you hear that, do you think that Demarcus Cousins deserves to have his jersey retired as a Sacramento king? I don’t think it would be for any other team. He was doing well with New Orleans, but then that changed when he got hurt. Went on to the Lakers and to the uh Warriors, I think even the Clippers. Didn’t he have a brief run with the Clippers? But Demarcus for some they would say no no no no no no he should not be in the rafters. That’s select company. Did he have a better career as a king than Pasia than Vlad? Now we go back to winning those guys were on better teams. I think it’s a good debate. The only way Cousin’s jersey goes into the rafters if there’s an official’s jersey right beside him. So they can argue every game. Uh okay. Uh because cousins, let me see. So they can argue every game or two. The cousins jersey falls from the Raptors because it gets two texts and gets ejected. That’s Craig in Wisconsin. Uh and he’s 45 minutes away from Freeberger, so I’ll pass, but I uh I’ll think about it for sure. All right. Thank you, Craig, for answering that part. Um, this one from the 916 might be a hot take, but I think we have too many jerseys retired. We need a Kings Royal Circle or some sort of Hall of Fame to recognize these people for sure. We love these guys and everything they did for the franchise, but the bar needs to be a little bit higher in my opinion. That’s a very interesting take. It is a hot take. And I think if we go back to when I think there’s no doubt Mitch Richmond jersey retired none right I don’t think that’s there’s no doubting that and I think there’s no doubting Chris Weber when Vlad and Pasia went up if I’m not mistaken that was either in the same year or within a year of each other and there was some debate at the time Kings uh I I was here I was working I remember it like there was a little drop in attendance. The the fan the the fan fervor for this team was was lower. Kings weren’t playing that well and it was a little bit of a hey boost. Let’s have Pasia Knight, let’s have Vlad Knight. And again, those two guys to me are terrific people, fantastic players. Vlad is in the Hall of Fame. Pasia, I think even came around maybe at the wrong like he still was incredible. Pa is one of the great players the Sacramento Kings have had. I think he’d even be better today if that makes sense. Um, based on the volume of three-point shooting and where he would be looked at, but um, he was great. Um, Allen says, “Demarcus was the flower blooming on the pile of cow manure, not worthy of a jersey retirement.” Okay, that’s why I asked the question. So, what would be a fair comp? because that hot take we had from the 916 feeling like maybe the Kings have too many. So, I thought this would be a fair comp. And let me see if I can pull this up. Yeah. Okay. So, they’ve been around nearly as long, but the Minnesota Timberwolves have been a team that I would say has roughly roughly the same amount of success as the Sacramento Kings. They haven’t been to the championship. Now, we’re talking Sacramento Kings, so 40 years of basketball. The Timberwolves have been around since the late 80s, 1989. So, the Kings got here in 1985. So, I feel like your comps are close. They had a 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8-year run of making the playoffs in the 90s to early 2000s. They then made the playoffs one time in 2017 or 2018 and now have made it the last four years. So for the bulk of their existence, the Minnesota Timberwolves have not been a playoff team much like the Sacramento Kings. And just going to give you some win totals early on. 22 29 15 19 20 21 26. Then they have the 8-year run. 33 32 24 17 14 16 31 40 excuse me 36 19. Not a great team. Not a great team. So why I feel like those are comps. I think that makes sense, right? If you’re just hearing that on the surface. So Chris, I’ll ask you this. I’ll put you on the spot. Care to take a guess at the amount of retired jerseys or who they have retired for the Minnesota Timberwolves? I’m guessing they’ve got, and I don’t expect you to know this answer. I mean, this is totally random. Let’s go with four. Four. And just off the top of your head, any guesses on who the four might be? Uh, Garnett. Okay. And three others. Yeah. Okay. They have two. One of them passed away tragically in Malik Cely. And the other one is their coach, Flip Saunders. Kevin Garnett’s jersey is not retired. Huh. I found that really interesting. I thought there could be some other candidates. Haven’t they had like a Kevin Garnett night? I think they have. And there still may be a time where his jersey gets retired, but that’s an organization. I think if we fairly compare and I think it’s a good comp and until the last couple of years I remember doing this factoid at one point here on the show that you know the Kings in that whatever it was 16 17 year drought of not making the playoffs they did not have the worst record in basketball. Actually Minnesota did. Now Minnesota had made the playoffs once in that range but had they not had that they would have been just like the Kings. They had a long drought going and now the last four years obviously they’ve been better. They’ve been a playoff team and we may see Ant or someone else over time have their jersey retired. I am looking into this Garnett thing and apparently he had some sort of like feud with ownership. Okay. Well, I think part of the reason Demarcus was traded ultimately and I was one for that. Like I just thought they’re not going to get to a point where they could win with Demarcus. I think they have to move him. I was there. It the Kings organization ultimately did that later. Well, ownership has to sign off on trades. Vcranade Diva was here. He was the owner that elected to trade him along with others and general manager and so on and so forth. So, while VCronad is owner, I don’t know that we’ll see Demarcus Cousins get his jersey in the rafters. I I’m not sure if there’s a beef there or not, but I I don’t know that the Kings are openly looking to have a Demarcus Cousins night. On the surface, Chris, would you say if the Kings came to you and say, “Hey, Chris, do you think Demarcus Cousins deserves to have his jersey retired?” What do you say about that? I would lean towards no. Okay. Why? Um, just all of it. Yeah. All I feel like I feel like I could be talked into it. I feel like I could be talked out of it. And if you’re retiring jerseys, I don’t think there’s really room to be on the fence. I’m in that camp of Chris Weber like of course there’s no doubt, right? I don’t think should be retired. Yeah. I I mean, poke the hole in why the hole to me in why Mitch Richmond shouldn’t be the only hole would be they didn’t win enough. That’s it. I don’t find that to be completely Mitch Richmond’s fault. The only hole really in Chris Weber is they didn’t win a championship. Okay. But in the 40 years they’ve been here, to me, there’s no doubt those are the two best players they’ve had. Where it’s getting interesting though, Demarcus has played really well. He’s kind of closer to the Mitch camp where he was one of the greats at the time, one of the better centers. He’s an all-star AllNBA. now he has more baggage to him and you know there’s there’s more of a personality issue sometimes like Demarcus I’ll go back to what I always said about Demarcus back when he was here is he is everything that everyone said about him so think about that it’s like those that said he was the best in the community great with kids um you know at times just funny and leader yes but problematic issues who’s tough with the media, tough with teammates, um sometimes grumpy. Yes. Yes. Uh tough with coaches, tough with uh PR st like Yes. He was everything that everyone said about him. So that that encompassed a lot where there was much more positives about Mitch, much more positives about Chris Weber. He was the player that I have never seen take the air out of an arena so many times. Yeah. Because obviously he’s a King’s best player and then he would get that first foul and everyone be like, “Oh, uh-oh. Is this where it gets to him?” And then be like a he would do like a quick foul that like everyone saw it, but he’s still complaining about the first one and everyone was just like, “That’s it.” And then that’s where it would seem like the other team would go on a run and then that would be it. And that’s where I feel like and I agree with you Chris because like here’s a texture saying the answer is no. Although he was an amazing player, he was an ass through the entire time he was here from technicals to throwing tantrums. He is not worth wasting a number on forever. Wow, that’s pretty harsh. I always said that if Demarcus was a type of player that like not like a Jordan-like player, but Jordan would find like little things where he’d feel like people are against him and that would take his game up a level. If he had that in him, he would be unstoppable. Yeah. He was like, like we would say, Angry Fox, look out for Angry Fox. Angry Demarcus kind of derailed him and the team like you said and the arena, which and then you know that every other team knows that. So, they’re gonna dig in and they’re gonna try and get him annoyed and then they would succeed. Yeah. Next text. Demarcus was maybe the best center in the league and was good in the community. I don’t care if he had a bunch of technicals. Okay. That’s where I think if the Kings had this and really has the separator. I think if they had a ring of honor, which other teams have, and then also a jersey, like to me the jersey is is the no doubter is the Hall of Fame is the guy that you go, “Oh, absolutely. His jersey needs to be retired.” I think there’s a debate on Demarcus and the debate and where the wiggle room is is not winning enough. And again, not entirely Demarcus’ fault. Um, but also the the attitude that we’ve been talking about here. So, I think if you put him in a ring of honor and it’s, you know, something around the center of the the mid level of that where the ribbon banners are now and something that that acknowledges some of the great players, coaches um that they’ve had, but maybe that’s a different specialty for jerseys. Like quite honestly, when I looked up Minnesota as the comp, I cannot believe that Kevin Garnett is not have his jersey retired. But from what I see, he’s been offered it and he said no because of So they got something going on there. So once I think the new owners take over, it could happen. Yeah. And there’ll definitely be a Kevin Garnett Knight. Um, is there anyone missing in your mind from the jerseys in Sacramento? I mean, I think he’s the the best candidate. I think we’re going to have this same kind of thing with Fox and Sabonis and Sabonis’ time as Sacramento’s not done. Fox is I mean Fox is Chris is also up there in almost all of the categories in Sacramento Kings history. Probably didn’t win enough. Um I think perceived differently than Demarcus for the majority of his career here. Some may have a different opinion of him now, but if that time comes, do you think Dear Fox should have his jersey in the Raptors? I don’t know. It’s not jumping at you screaming out yes. No. Okay. Cuz like what’s weird is like if the I think it’d be better for Fox if the Kings were became more successful now. Oh, that would help him. I think so. because there wouldn’t cuz if the Kings get like worse and let’s say they go on another run of not making the playoffs after he got traded and it felt like he was a part of the team going down and stuff like that. I could see that hurting maybe a little more anger and venom towards him. And then Sabonis is still here and again now he’s putting up numbers that Demarcus did or even better at times and where does he end up in the alltime list? Um and then does it become a longevity thing? Do they have to win more? That’s where I think it’s I like the ring of honor or some sort of it doesn’t have to be a ring of honor, some sort of something in the hallways there or some sort of significance. Um, you know, then when you get to statues, that’s a whole another a whole another realm. Um, but the one I will say it’s not even a Sacramento king. I think there’s no doubt in my mind that Tesha Penero should have her jersey retired. Yes. I think she got the raw end of the deal that um when the Monarchs went away, Tisha was still playing and she went to LA and I think that was her last but she’s one of the greatest players the WNBA has ever had. And the Monarchs won a championship. I don’t know if she’s still the all-time assist leader. That may have been passed by now, but Ruthie went up there, deserves it. Yolanda went up there, definitely deserves it. Jerry Reynolds, part of the Monarchs, uh from the GM, went up there, deserves it. But to me, Tisha Penichiro, no doubt, no doubt in my mind, should have her jersey retired. That number 21 from the Monarch should be up in the Raptors at Golden One Center. I think there should be some sort of acknowledgement to Rick Adelman and Jeff Petri. Um, and then Dave and I have talked about this for years. Certainly the Gman. I mean, that’s got to happen. Has to. Not even a that’s not a to me that’s not a negotiable one. But in some way, it doesn’t have to be a jersey. It’s just some sort of recognition. Oh, we should have a dancing Gman up there. Dancing Gman. Bump your booty out there, brother. Every time you go by, you press the button. Bump your booty out there, brother. Like hips go back and forth. Just do a little I mean, who says no? Who says no to that? Actually, I like that a lot. Up by the broadcast booth. Help your booty out there, brother. dancing Gman. So, I don’t know. It’s interesting. I think Demarcus would like that recognition. I think he’s still fond of Sacramento. I think there’s a lot of people still fond of Demarcus. There’s a lot of people that were upset with Demarcus. I think um you don’t do it out of, hey, let’s get a Demarcus Cousins night. It’s if you feel it, if an organization says we should do it, it’s it’s he deserved it, then you do it. But I don’t know. I don’t know if any other Kings players I mean, I like this Isaiah Thomas story. I don’t think there’s enough there. Um Rudy Gay was a good player, but no. Um yeah, it’s it’s kind of funny though that we’ve had Mitch Weber, the fans, Pasia and Vlad, and Minnesota basically has had the same type of kind of 40 years, we’ll say, or close to 40 years as the Kings and they’ve got Malik Cely and Flip Saunders. Wow. Uh, let’s see. Let’s get a few more here from the text line. Um, not a big fan of retiring a bunch of jerseys. One day when we’re good and win 10 championships, then you can do that. Weber and Mitch are fine. Probably not PA, but I wouldn’t remove anyone. Yeah. I mean, once you’re up there, you don’t get Hey, we’re going to take you down. That doesn’t happen. Yeah. Who retires two numbers for two different players? retires the same number for two different players. Okay. What are you referring to? Don’t the Yankees have Do they have multiples? Yeah, they should at number nine. Greg Nettle’s greater than Roger Maris. Who says no while Chris laughs? H. Let me see. A big fat no on Demarcus. great talent, but so divisive on and off the court. He was a poor teammate and difficult to coach. He should still be playing, but no one wants that baggage. One more thing, Kings were never close to winning with him. And unfortunately, the last thing we saw from him playing basketball was in Puerto Rico with them getting into it with the fans. Like, uh, that’s right. That’s right. Some things will never change. And it’s funny. I mean, I’ve had good interactions with Demarcus, too. He can be funny. He can be engaging. remember one time there was a king’s uh is it Christmas party or year end party maybe Christmas party I mean truly like he was so fun he was running around the whole place I think there was Kentucky was playing oh it would have been in March it was maybe a season ticket holder party um and Kentucky was in the final four maybe that year or get you know he was running around cheering for his team but just super engaging and fun but yeah if we were sticking if we’re stretching down that rabbit hole as far as uh that why not have a photo of Ronnie Price dunking over Utah up in the rafters that could go on like the wall or significant moments. I don’t know. But all right, we appreciate that. I think I’ve got a friend that still has a to with that dunk on it. Just saved. Yeah. All right. Well, happy birthday nonetheless. Don’t plug it into the internet to Demarcus Cousins. All right. Still to come in this hour, who’s hot news not will go streaking as well. See if we continue on that trend when we come back. A good day for the A’s. stuff.

Jason Ross takes texts and comments from fans regarding DeMarcus Cousins’ claim that the Sacramento Kings should retire his number-15 jersey.

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