Don't apologize if you're not sorry, they say.
DeMarcus Cousins apparently is not sorry about what he said or did to Sacramento Bee columnist Andy Furillo. The Kings center released an apology to teammates, fans and the organization after a tirade against Furillo, but there was no mention of the man he aggressively pursued and yelled at in the locker room.
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Here's the release in full, via USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt:
"There is a time, place and manner to say everything, and I chose the wrong ones. Like most people, I am fiercely protective of my friends and family, and I let my emotions get the best of me in this situation. I understand my actions were inexcusable and I commit to upholding the professional standards of the Kings and the NBA. I apologize to my teammates, fans and the Kings organization for my behavior and the ensuing distraction and look forward to moving on and focusing on basketball."
If that sounds like something that has gone through PR, it only highlights the intent. And Cousins is well within his rights to not apologize to a newspaper or its employees that escalated the situation through a condescending and bizarre letter from the editor and release of the video.
The Bee wasn't wrong to react, though the words executive editor Joyce Terhaar chose felt loaded in the wrong ways. Publishing the video of the tirade was a good way to bring some accountability to a player who has long treated the media surrounding him poorly and unprofessionally.
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But Cousins wasn't wrong to refuse to apologize to the newspaper. He clearly states that he's not sorry for trying to protect his brother — though Furillo's column only presented facts without judgment about Jaleel Cousins, who is a player in the NBA Development League.
Those watching the video and feeling that Cousins physically threatened Furillo should ask themselves how they expect the 6-11, 270-pound professional athlete to shrink his body enough to be able to yell at someone without towering over them. He yelled and pointed. It was unprofessional. It was way over the top. Those probably are things worth apologizing for. Furillo was trying to do his job and didn't deserve to be screamed at publicly. But it wasn't threatening, unless you simply believe that a person of Cousins' size cannot get angry at a person of Furillo's size without threatening violence.
However, here's the video so you can make your own determination:
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The Kings reportedly fined Cousins $50,000 for the incident. It's unclear if they also demanded the apology, though that wouldn't be a surprise.
Apologies, no matter how processed and carefully worded the end results are, should be genuine. Cousins apologized to the people he felt deserved an apology.
