DeMarcus Cousins on the alleged rift between Tatum and Brown: “A media-created narrative”
DeMarcus Cousins comes to the defense of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, drawing a parallel to his years alongside Anthony Davis with the Pelicans
In today’s NBA, no star duo has been scrutinized more than Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. For years, every Boston Celtics loss has been dissected in search of cracks in their relationship, a misplaced glance, or any sign of tension, fueling recurring questions about the team’s identity.
Stepping in to push back against that narrative was someone who knows that kind of scrutiny firsthand. Appearing on Run It Back on FanDuel TV, DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins dismissed the speculation, offering an unfiltered perspective on what really happens once the locker room doors close.
The whispers about who the better player was or who should have the keys to the team were never a thing between me and Anthony Davis. We never even talked about it
DeMarcus Cousins
The former center used his own experience with the Cousins-Davis pairing in New Orleans – where the two successfully coexisted from 2017 to 2018 – as the foundation for his argument, revisiting one of the biggest “what ifs” in recent NBA history.
Before Cousins suffered his Achilles injury in January 2018, the New Orleans Pelicans were proving that two elite big men – and two superstars averaging at least 25 points and 11 rebounds per game – could share the paint and offensive responsibilities without getting in each other’s way.
Cousins, who entered the league carrying the reputation of being an emotional player in Sacramento but still earned four NBA All-Star selections and two All-NBA honors thanks to his rare blend of power and playmaking ability, wanted to reinforce what he believes is one of the fundamental principles of high-level competition.
With winning as the ultimate goal, Cousins and AD were able to put their egos aside and thrive together.
His defense of the Celtics stars – an opinion also echoed by analyst Skip Bayless – is more than just a vote of confidence in Tatum and Brown. It’s a lesson in what truly matters inside an NBA locker room.