MANILA, Philippines – Former NBA All-Star and Olympic gold medalist DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins feels proud to backstop the ”hardworking” Zamboanga Valientes in his first-ever tour of duty in the Philippines.
“This is new for me, I’ve never been [here] before, this is a brand new experience so I’m super excited about that,” said Cousins, who’s seeing action with the Valientes in the final leg of The Asian Tournament (TAT).
“I’ve heard the fans here are extremely passionate, they love the game of basketball,” he added.
Cousins, who played for seven different NBA teams, including the Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors, plays alongside former UAAP MVP Malick Diouf, Mac Belo, Mike Tolomia, Franky Johnson, Rudy Lingganay, Das Esa, and AJ Benson.
Meanwhile, ex-Ateneo big Geo Chiu remains sidelined with a swollen foot and is uncertain to join the team in the weeklong tournament from August 5-10 at the 12,000-seater Vitaliano Agan Coliseum in Zamboanga City.
More of an observer during his first practice with the team, Cousins was impressed with the Filipinos’ work ethic, commending them for their winning mentality ahead of the tournament.
“Hardworking and talented,” Cousins said of the Valientes players. “I think they’re serious about winning, and so I’m happy about that. It’s a good move.”
Cousins said he’s excited to be part of the tournament, just to “play in front of the crowd, and feed off their energy and their love.”
“[Hopefully], I can reciprocate it back in a way that they can receive it,” he said.
Cousins is coming off a championship in the previous leg of the TAT, where he teamed up with former NBA champions Dwight Howard and Quinn Cook alongside Filipino player Alex Cabagnot to reinforce the Taiwan Mustangs.
With Cousins, Howard, and Cook, the Mustangs were so dominant that they capped off their run with a 134-70 beatdown of the Pola Pilipinas in the championship game.
This time around, Cousins is expected to be the focal point for the Valientes in the hopes of bringing a title to the City of Zamboanga.
“I’m so more concerned about this moment, which I mean now,” said Cousins. “And like I said, I’m making the best out of this opportunity.” – Rappler.com