Basketball is a sport that can sometimes boil over – something which has been showcased by former NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins.
The NBA has witnessed infamous instances such as the “Malice at the Palace” that involved the Detroit Pistons and the Indiana Pacers in the past.
While players are expected to behave in a certain way and are punished heavily by the league if they fail to do so, fans do not extend the same courtesy at times and tend to push the wrong buttons on occasion.
One such brawl involving a former NBA superstar, where a volatile player met with unruly behaviour from the fans, took place in Puerto Rico on Monday and has caused quite a stir.
DeMarcus Cousins involved in a brawl with fans
Cousins, a few years removed from his NBA peak, has been plying his trade with the Guaynabo Mets in the Puerto Rican league since 2023.
On Monday, as he was leaving the court after being ejected during a game against Vaqueros de Bayamon, “Boogie” engaged in verbal interactions with fans along the tunnel.
This was followed by fans throwing beer at him, which prompted an angry response from the 6’10 center. Cousins threatened to run into the fans and looked more than ready to engage in a physical confrontation before he was escorted away by security personnel.
While the security personnel were able to control the situation before it escalated out of control, this incident represented how quickly emotions in sport can lead to violence if left unchecked.
The former Sacramento Kings star is no stranger to altercations, but this incident has all the looks of an event that shall be headlining stories describing the fall from grace of his career in the future.
Cousins is among all-time leaders in NBA history
At his peak, Cousins was among the best big men in the league and was a perennial All-Star. However, with his teams not being successful, history may not be kind to Cousins and is likely to present him as a violent player who couldn’t keep his emotions in check.
In all-time rankings, Cousins places in the top 10 for ejections and in the top 20 for technical fouls accrued despite playing under 700 games in the NBA.
Most ejections in NBA History:
| Ranking | Player Name | Number of Ejections |
| 1 | Rasheed Wallace | 29 |
| 2 | Draymond Green | 23 |
| 3 | Dwight Howard | 17 |
| =4 | Charles Barkley | 16 |
| =4 | Anthony Mason | 16 |
| =6 | DeMarcus Cousins | 14 |
| =6 | Shaquille O’Neal | 14 |
| 8 | Matt Barnes | 13 |
| =9 | Reggie Miller | 12 |
| =9 | Dennis Rodman | 12 |
| =9 | Kenyon Martin | 12 |
Suspensions and fines were a regular part of Cousins’ career in the NBA, but when that trend continues away from the bright lights of NBA stardom, it reflects an attitude issue that is likely to be discussed as one of the reasons for his failure to live up to his potential.