George Karl Comments on DeMarcus Cousins and Tenure with Sacramento Kings

Over the last two years, perhaps no coach in basketball has undergone more turmoil than George Karl. He was hired amid controversy at last year’s All-Star break, nearly fired after just 30 games and faced constant rumors about his job status before finally being let go in April.   

At the center of most of the controversy was Karl’s relationship (or lack thereof) with star DeMarcus Cousins. In a wide-ranging interview with Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee, Karl admitted he never clicked with Cousins and took part of the blame.

“I never felt I got into a good place with Cuz,” Karl said, “and some of that was my stupidity when I said that no player is untradeable. I still believe that. But I should have been smart enough not to say it, and I in no way, at any time, thought [Cousins] was going to get traded.”

One thing becomes clear when Karl speaks: He believes the Kings have emboldened Cousins to the detriment of the organization. In particular, Karl highlighted a well-documented November incident where Cousins berated his coach in front of teammates and vice president of basketball operations Vlade Divac:

That night the bomb went off. [Divac] was right there. When they supported Cousins instead of me, I felt, ‘OK, I’m in the compromise position. Cuz has the power.’ They sent that message many times, too many times sent it to the players. And the players wanted someone to stand up to Cuz, and they wanted it to be their coach. But at that point, I realized that you …

continue reading in source www.bleacherreport.com