Former NBA star DeMarcus Cousins was thrown out of a game in Puerto Rico on Monday night after a heated exchange with a courtside fan took a wild turn. The scene erupted into chaos as Cousins, visibly upset, was showered with drinks and food by furious spectators while being led off the court.
Cousins, a four-time NBA All-Star best known for his time with the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans, is currently playing for the Guaynabo Mets in Puerto Rico’s top professional league, Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). The tension escalated during a timeout when Cousins got into a verbal spat with a front-row fan. Things quickly got physical—video shared on social media shows Cousins making an obscene gesture and swiping toward the fan. His teammates jumped in immediately, pulling him back before the situation worsened.
But that wasn’t the end of it. As Cousins made his way toward the locker room, the crowd’s anger intensified. Shouting matches broke out, and hecklers pelted him with food and drinks. Security tried to contain the mayhem, but not before another scuffle broke out between fans and players.
At 34, Cousins hasn’t suited up in the NBA since the 2021–22 season. That year, he played 17 games for the Milwaukee Bucks and 31 for the Denver Nuggets. Once considered one of the league’s most dominant big men, Cousins was selected fifth overall in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Kings. Over the course of his 11-year NBA career, he averaged an impressive 19.6 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
In 2011, Cousins finished third in Rookie of the Year voting, trailing behind Blake Griffin and John Wall. His prime came between 2014 and 2018, when he earned four straight All-Star selections and was widely regarded as a top-tier center. He also played a role—though limited—on the Golden State Warriors team that fell to the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 NBA Finals.
However, injuries began to derail his career. A devastating Achilles tear sidelined him for the entire 2019–20 season, and despite multiple comeback attempts, he never quite reclaimed his former dominance. Searching for opportunities abroad, Cousins joined Guaynabo in 2013, took a detour to Taiwan last season, and then returned to Puerto Rico earlier this year to rejoin the Mets.
Monday night’s outburst has once again thrust Cousins into the spotlight—but for all the wrong reasons. Once seen as a player capable of reshaping a franchise, he now finds himself at the center of controversy in a league far from the NBA’s bright lights. Whether this latest altercation will mark another chapter in his decline—or spark a turning point—remains to be seen.
