Kings center DeMarcus Cousins invited to Team USA minicamp
Jerry Colangelo told Yahoo! Sports he has moved on from the past and is looking toward the future in inviting Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins to USA Basketball's minicamp in late July.
The USA Basketball chairman said Cousins had "some growing up to do" when he was a member of a select team practicing against USA Basketball's Olympic team last summer. Cousins took offense to those comments and asked Colangelo about them. After much debate among USA Basketball executives, a source said, Cousins, 22, was extended an invite to take part in the minicamp with a chance to land a spot on Team USA.
"You bury the past and go forward," Colangelo said. "He's invited and he's definitely on the list. New year, new summer, new opportunity."
Cousins, who's played three seasons with the Kings, is one of the NBA's most gifted big men, with an ability to score inside in a variety of ways, shoot from deep, handle the ball and pass. The 6-foot-11, 270-pounder averaged 17.1 points and 9.9 rebounds in 75 games for the Kings last season. Much of his career, however, has been blemished by verbal run-ins with former Kings head coaches Keith Smart and Paul Westphal, teammates, other team personnel and media.
On what he likes best about Cousins' game, Colangelo said: "Size. Talent."
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