DeMarcus Cousins slams NCAA in wake of Zion Williamson injury

Warriors center and former Kentucky basketball star DeMarcus Cousins didn’t hold back in his criticism of the NCAA after Zion Williamson’s injury in the opening seconds of the Duke-UNC game.

DeMarcus Cousins has some pointed criticism at the NCAA in the wake of Zion Williamson’s injury and would recommend the Duke phenom to shut it down.

The Golden State Warriors center and former Kentucky star was among the plethora of current and former NBA players to express their opinion after Williamson went down with a knee injury in the opening seconds vs. North Carolina. Cousins didn’t mince his words and left no room for anything to be lost in translation when he said “college basketball and the NCAA is bulls**t” and recommends he do what’s best for him and his family and get ready for the NBA.

"“Knowing what I know now, college is bull****, college basketball and the NCAA is bull****. My advice is do what’s best for you and your family. It does nothing for you at this point, you’ve proven your’re the No. 1 pick coming out, you’ve proven your talent. Get ready for the next level. That’s my opinion, from what I now know.”"

Cousins wasn’t the only player to hold that opinion about the NCAA. Former Louisville guard and current Jazz rising star Donovan Mitchell took to Twitter last night to share his frustrations with the NCAA and athletes not being paid.

Whether the NCAA should or shouldn’t pay athletes is a conversation for another day. What I heard from Cousins really has more to do with what Williamson has already shown and how the NCAA provides nothing to his future career.

Williamson has without a doubt proven to scouts, general managers, and the players he is the next big star in basketball. Through 26 games, Williamson has averaged 21.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game. He’s also dropped people’s jaws to the floor more than enough times with his incredible highlight dunks and blocks, as well as prove he’s a quality teammate who helped lead Duke to a 23-2 (11-1) record leading up to his injury.

But he proved all of that by playing at Duke. Could Zion have sat out the 2018-19 season, worked out with NBA trainers and gone in the top 10 of the draft? Sure, he absolutely could have.

He has been on the NBA radar since he was 16 due to the same highlight dunks and show-stopping performances he put together throughout high school and on the AAU circuit. But was that enough to prove he was far and above everyone else contending for the No. 1 pick?

If Williamson didn’t play college basketball this season, his teammates, R.J. Barrett and Cameron Reddish, and Ja Morant would be the guys everyone was talking about, and while Williamson would likely still be in the conversation, there’s no way he’d be getting the same publicity and fame he’s getting playing college basketball all while bettering himself for the next level.

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