DeMarcus Cousins Wants Kings To Retire His Jersey: 'I Earned My Stripes'

DeMarcus Cousins hasn’t played for the Sacramento Kings in over seven years, but the former All-Star still believes he left a legacy worth honoring. In a recent interview, Cousins made his case for having his jersey retired by the franchise, pointing to his accolades and impact during one of the darkest eras in Kings history.

“That was something that I definitely wanted and strived for as far as why I tried to go out and perform every single night. Accolade-wise, I feel like I did all the right things while I was in that jersey,” said Cousins. “As far as All-Stars, as far as All-NBA selections, numbers, gold medals. I put my work in. I think I earned my stripes.”

The Kings have retired 11 jersey numbers to honor legends like Nate Archibald (No. 1), Chris Webber (No. 4), Vlade Divac (No. 21), and Mitch Richmond (No. 2), among others. As it stands now, Cousins (No. 15) has yet to join that elite company, but he believes he's done enough to earn the recognition.

"Obviously, it's a political thing," said Cousins. "But as far as the work being done, I think I did what needed to be done to join the others up in the rafters.”

Now 34 years old, Cousins officially retired from the NBA in February 2024 after an 11-year career. His last game for the Kings was actually back in 2017, when he was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans before suffering a torn Achilles tendon.

Despite stints with the Pelicans, Warriors, Rockets, Clippers, Bucks, and Nuggets, Cousins will be remembered in history as a Kings player. Over seven seasons with the franchise, he averaged 21.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game on 45.9% shooting. He was their best player for nearly a decade, and he was the only reason they were at least somewhat competitive in the 2010s.

He brought life and character to the organization and gave the fans something to root for year after year. As a 4x All-Star and 2x All-NBA player, Cousins certainly meets the criteria for a jersey retirement ceremony, especially if you just go by the numbers.

On the flip side, however, DeMarcus never actually achieved any team success. In fact, in his entire Kings tenure, Cousins never made the playoffs with a win percentage of just 36.6% (172-298). Cousins is notably absent from most major franchise leaderboards—except one. He holds the Kings’ all-time record for turnovers, with 1,624.

Retiring a jersey is one of the highest honors an organization can bestow, and it’s not always just about winning. In many cases, it’s about impact, loyalty, and what a player meant to the city. Cousins was polarizing, no doubt, but he was also the heartbeat of the Kings during a stretch when there was little else to believe in. That kind of emotional legacy still resonates with a portion of the fanbase who would love to see No. 15 raised to the rafters.