Before teaming up with the Taiwan Mustangs in The Asian Tournament (TAT), former NBA players Dwight Howard, Quinn Cook, and supposedly DeMarcus Cousins were part of the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers squad that won the title inside a bubble in Orlando.
In a podcast interview fresh from Taipei after the Mustangs won the fourth leg of TAT, the three American hoops stars looked back at the time they joined forces with LeBron James and Anthony Davis to give the Lakers their 17th NBA title, which at that time tied the Boston Celtics for the most number of pennants before the Celtics broke the deadlock earlier this year.
“Go look at us before the bubble. Who’s the best team there?” Cook asked his fellow ex-Laker guests.
“We were the best team,” Howard answered.
Despite being relegated to a spectator’s role all season long after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in a pickup game during the offseason, Cousins said that he was amazed at how the Lakers jelled as a team that year.
“Our chemistry was through the roof. We had so much fun together,” said Cousins, who was once a star for the Lakers’ cross-state rivals, the Sacramento Kings.
Despite the emotions that ran through the calendar year, from the untimely passing of Laker legend Kobe Bryant to the long suspension of play due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the Lakers still prevailed, beating the Miami Heat in six games and telling everyone that they are still the kings of Hollywood, even if the Clippers have already caught up with them.
However, Dwight Howard expressed his dismay that the Lakers quickly let him and Cousins go from their championship team, all the more that despite making a surprise run to the Western Conference Finals last year, the Lakers had to undergo the Play-In Games to determine their playoff fate.
“The only thing I’m mad about is they didn’t keep all of us together,” Howard said.
The 6-foot-10 center, now aged 38, has since reiterated on X that the Lakers might need his help to win another chip.
No Dwight Howard vs. DeMarcus Cousins in TAT finale?
Right after his stint with the Mustangs, DeMarcus Cousins quickly departed for the Philippines, but this time, he joined the Zamboanga Valientes for the final leg of TAT.
This led to the possibility that he would face off with Dwight Howard at some point during the leg kick-off on Monday night at the Mayor Vitaliano D. Agan Coliseum in Zamboanga City.
However, Cousins revealed that Howard, who is also a part-owner of the franchise, will not play for the Mustangs in the final leg.
Despite that, Cousins said he is ready to treat the Zamboangueno fans in his first taste of Philippine professional league action.
“This is new for me. I’ve never been here before. This is a brand-new experience, so I’m super excited about that. I’ve heard the fans here are extremely passionate. They love the game of basketball, so that’s a cool feeling for me. I can’t wait to display my talent, play in front of the crowd, and feed off their energy and their love, and hopefully, I can reciprocate it back in a way that they can receive it,” Cousins told Filipino reporters on Saturday.
The Valientes, now with Cousins, will open their home stand on Monday night against the Macau Black Bears.
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