DeMarcus Cousins drops double-double in debut for Taiwan Beer Leopards

DeMarcus Cousins is back playing basketball and he’s still putting up numbers.

During his debut on Saturday with Taiwanese professional basketball team, the Taiwan Beer Leopards, Cousins — rocking his signature No. 15 jersey — dropped a double-double in his 28 minutes of action. Boogie posted 13 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and two steals in the first outing with his new club.

It was a quick turnaround from arriving in Taiwan to suiting up and hitting the floor. Cousins, 33, got in on Thursday, where he was greeted by a crowd of fans excited to cheer on the former Kentucky Wildcat. He inked his contract with the Beer Leopards last month and the team’s CEO, Johnny Chang, intends to sign him to monthly contracts moving forward.

Check out Cousins’ highlights below. The Beer Leopards came away with the win too, 119-90, and will be in action again on Sunday to take on defending T1 League champion New Taipei CTBC DEA.

DeMarcus Cousins (@boogiecousins) got the job done in his debut for the Leopards over at the T1 League 👏

📊 13 PTS | 10 REB | 5 AST | 2 STL | 28 MIN

🎥 T1 League pic.twitter.com/7WAQgxUUza

— FIBA Asia Champions Cup (@FIBAasiacc) January 20, 2024

Despite being out of the NBA since the 2021-22 season when he played for the Denver Nuggets, Cousins continues to play the game he loves. He spent last season in Puerto Rico with the Guaynabo Mets where he consistently dominated the competition. Boogie averaged 20.4 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 25 minutes per outing while shooting 44 percent from deep.

The Guaynabo Mets even made the playoffs thanks to Cousins’ stellar play, but an injury in the semifinals knocked him out the rest of the way.

After winning SEC Rookie of the Year in 2010 and making Second-Team All-American during his lone season at Kentucky in 2009-10, Cousins went on to have a successful NBA career. He was taken with the fifth overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft and spent 11 seasons in the league, making four All-Star Games and two All-NBA Teams along the way. Cousins holds career averages of 19.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game in the NBA.

Keep killing it, Boogie.