"I ain't f**king with that s**t" - DeMarcus Cousins reveals his mom pushing him into basketball to escape 'trouble'

The journey of DeMarcus Cousins to basketball stardom was never easy, but he has one person to give credit to for pushing him in the right direction. During an appearance on "KG Certified" with Kevin Garnett, Cousins shared how his mother pushed him to take up basketball and build a career in the sport.

It hasn't been that long since Cousins was dominating the paint of NBA games. Before the injuries, he was regarded as one of the best big men in the game. As a center, he could do everything on the court with ease, which made him an All-Star.

However, it wasn't easy as he didn't find an interest in the sport at the start. But the game of basketball got him out of trouble as his mother encouraged him to give the sport a try.

"Basketball really saved me," Cousins said. "Because I ended up hitting this part of my life, 'What the f**k I'mma do?' I'm trying to figure this out and credit to my mom – this is how my basketball story start. I'm walking through school; this is seventh grade. I'm skipping class that time. AAU coach is walking through the hallways and he stops me."

Cousins shared how the AAU coach was surprised to see him as a 6-foot-6 seventh grader.

"He got my information. ... So, I go home and I'm like, 'Ma, some man hollered at me, and he trying to do this and this with me. Nah, I ain't f**king with that s**t.' He talking about traveling all over the world playing basketball. So, my mom ended up having a conversation with him. She came back to me, 'You know, I think you need to do this.'"

Boogie took his mother's advice and gave it a shot. It turned out that he was a natural player and became one of the top young players in the country.

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DeMarcus Cousins helped his new team to win a title

Although DeMarcus Cousins isn't part of the NBA anymore, he's still actively playing the game of basketball in other leagues. The most recent team he played for was the Zamboanga Valientes in the Philippines. Cousins helped the team reach the top of the Asian Tournament and get the win against the Macau Black Bears in the finals.

The former Kentucky center led the charge with 21 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. He also registered two blocks.

His former AAU coach was right as he gets to travel the world thanks to the talent that he has to show. After winning the title, Cousins hasn't shared what the next chapter of his basketball career will be.