DeMarcus Cousins has issued an apology for a profanity-laced tirade directed at Kings coach George Karl following a loss to the Spurs on Monday.
“I let my frustrations get the best of me in the locker room following the loss to San Antonio — that is my bad," Cousins said in a prepared statment (via Yahoo Sports) Wednesday. "For the record, my frustration is not about any one person or player or coach. There is no one to blame. All of us is (sic) accountable. My frustration is that we are 1-7, simple as that.”
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Karl wanted to suspend Cousins for two games for his tirade, but general manager Vlade Divac told the coach he didn’t have authority to do that and blocked the suspension, according to the Sacramento Bee.
“I think we’re all trying to make it better,” Karl said Wednesday. “There’s always a feeling of, ‘What the hell’s going on? What do you want me to do here?’ There’s always questions early in the season. I’m ready to go and I think they will be, too.”
Divac downplayed the situation in later comments to Yahoo Sports, saying Cousins' outburst "wasn't on George (Karl)" and that possible discipline will stay in-house.
"He spoke his mind, frustration about 1-7. I'm OK with it," said Divac, who played six season with the Kings. "As a (former) player, I know how it's frustrating. It's better to say something and show that those guys care. The most important thing we had after the meeting was we were on the same page, bottom line, on how to improve. That's positive stuff."
Some reports have suggested that Karl, who took over as head coach in February, is on the hot seat.
"There's a lot of B.S. out there," Divac told the Sacramento Bee in response Wednesday. "I'd just rather not comment."
Sacramento may be in Northern California, but this season's drama is straight out of Hollywood.