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Cousins from page A1 Cousins? “Everything that he knows the next two months, Cousins began in Mobile,” said Danny arrived here by plane at 2 a.m. Pritchett, head coach of Cous- But a little sleep deprivation ins’ Amateur Athletic Union wasn’t going to keep him from team. “He can make anywhere attending this seventh annual his home, but Mobile is where Santa Cuzevent. his heart is.” In between posing for photos, the 6-foot-11, 270- *** pound “Boogie” Cousins chat- More than eight dozen stu- ted with the kids about what dents, handpicked from five they were buying. When a local schools for good behavior Jeff Haller / Special to The Chronicle 7-year-old boy told Cousins and strong grades, sat in an DeMarcus Cousins greets children who are among the 100 chosen to select items at Target in Mo- that he was getting a Monopo- airport hangar on the southern bile, Ala., as presents from him during his seventh annual Santa Cuz Holiday Shopping Spree. ly game to take to his day care, edge of Mobile wearing green Cousins said in his Southern T-shirts with a caricature of he stood 6-4. son would get injured playing His devotion to that ambi- drawl, “That’s really cool, little Cousins in a Santa Claus cos- During trips to the grocery football, insisted that he join tion was clear during a Nike man.” tume. In front of them were store, Monique made sure to the Storm. In his first weeks All-America camp in St. Louis It was a day that showcased tables lined with gifts: Puma keep an eye on her gangly with Pritchett, Cousins uttered the following summer. Cousins the sweet, caring side of Cous- duffel bags, backpacks, sweat- preteen. Not yet comfortable little more than a two-word was reaching for a loose ball ins — a stark contrast to the shirts, stocking caps and $200 with his long limbs, DeMarcus refrain — “Yes, sir” — as he when an opponent elbowed Cousins most NBA fans have gift cards that they would soon often knocked over displays or struggled through such basics him in the face and knocked come to know. spend at Target. bumped into shopping carts, as layups and bounce passes. out two front teeth. Blood still Thanks to run-ins with “I didn’t have the best drawing glares from store “The scary thing was how dripping from his mouth, coaches, teammates, oppo- Christmases growing up, but employees and shoppers. Mo- fast he improved,” Pritchett Cousins rushed out of his nents, referees, fans and media my mom and family did what nique explained that he was said. “He was so determined dental appointment that after- members over his eight-year they could,” Cousins told the just a boy, that looks can de- that, whenever I showed him noon. There was another game career, he’s been tagged with kids. “I’m just spreading the ceive. something, he did it over and to play. the worst of labels: thug, mal- joy, spreading the love and Pritchett recalled when over until he got it.” Days later, the college re- content, locker-room cancer. helping out in any way pos- Gary Williams, an assistant Cousins started pestering cruiting website Rivals.com That stigma, not just his torn sible.” coach with the AAU’s Bir- Pritchett daily for one-on-one ranked him as the top incom- left Achilles tendon, is why Though his father lived in mingham Storm, was search- work. When Pritchett wasn’t ing 10th-grader in the country. Cousins — a four-time NBA Mobile, Cousins had little ing for local talent and spotted available, his sons led Cousins Cousins had played organized All-Star in his prime — re- relationship with him growing Cousins keeping the book at through drills. for little more than verted to what he called his up. Cousins’ mother, Monique, the scorer’s table during a By the time he entered E.B. two years. “last resort” last summer and supported her six kids — four middle school basketball game. Erwin High School in the “I didn’t handle all the atten- signed a one-year, $5.3 million girls, two boys — as a licensed Assuming he was a junior or Birmingham suburb of tion well,” Cousins said. “That contract with Golden State. vocational nurse, moving the senior in high school, Williams Point, Cousins was a 6-8 for- was part of my struggle grow- But to many in Mobile, family to Birmingham when asked him whether he knew of ward with the ballhandling ing up. I always viewed myself Cousins is still “Marc,” the Cousins was in fifth grade. As any seventh-graders who and passing ability of a point as a regular kid. I was a prod- self-described mama’sboy who her children’s itineraries got wanted to play travel ball. guard. Word of the ninth- uct of my environment. No- loves a good prank, doesn’t more chaotic, she worked in “I’m in seventh grade,” grade sensation traveled quick- body where I came from has drink, didn’t have a driver’s home health care or nursing Cousins said. ly. Unable to accommodate the ever really been in those situa- license until he reached the homes, picking up assign- Like many kids in Alabama, crowds he drew, Erwin offi- tions or knew how to handle NBA and has never been ar- ments when she could. Cousins fancied himself a cials moved multiple games to those situations.” rested. In this slow-paced port DeMarcus, her second- football player. He had played nearby Jefferson State Com- city of 190,265, nestled along oldest, took medication for only pickup basketball. A munity College. *** the Mobile River and bell- attention deficit disorder dur- homebody, Cousins didn’t like When a reporter from the Those closest to Cousins shaped Mobile Bay, lie at least ing elementary school, but he the idea of leaving town for Birmingham News inter- have a tough time reconciling some of the answers to a query stopped after the sixth grade tournaments; he worried about viewed him, the young star the petulant bully often por- that’s confounded the league because it made him feel list- plane crashes and car acci- was candid about his goals: “I trayed in the media with the since he entered it: less. Around then, the growth dents. want to be the best. I want to big-hearted jokester they know Who is the real DeMarcus spurt hit. By his 12th birthday, But Monique, concerned her be a legend in Alabama.” off the court.

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“There’s two different De- One afternoon, Pritchett Playing for though people say no.” Marcuses,” said Monique, who pulled him aside after practice the Rattlers So, Cousins returns. In Sep- now lives in the Mobile suburb and asked whether he liked of LeFlore tember, he came to a park just of Spanish Fort in a house how his mom was living. High School, behind LeFlore High to unveil Cousins bought. “When he’s on When Cousins said, “We’re DeMarcus a basketball court made pos- that stage, he’s that fiery com- doing OK,” Pritchett told him Cousins sible by the $253,000 he donat- petitor. But when he’s off that that he had the talent to pro- grabs a re- ed a year earlier.Spelled out in stage, he’s that laid-back De- vide his family with a better bound the center circle, in big white Marcus, that funny DeMarcus, life. during the letters, is one of Cousins’ favor- that giving DeMarcus. That’s The coach’s message res- first quarter ite phrases: “Loyalty Is Love.” against what we see all the time.” onated, and Cousins made the In the morning, a couple of Parker High It doesn’t help that Cousins game his focus. Throughout in a state hundred kids packed into purposefully keeps his circle high school, he didn’t date. champion- LeFlore’s gymnasium for the small. Outside of his mother, Cousins attended an all-star ship semi- Cousins’ basketball camp. siblings, fiancee, two young camp instead of the prom. final game in Behind the basket closest to the kids, longtime manager An- While his friends cheered the Birmingham, main entrance, to the left of his drew Rogers, and a handful of football team, Cousins hoisted Ala., in 2009. framed No. 15 Rattlers jersey, former teammates and child- shots alone in the gym. hung a huge poster of Cousins hood friends, few are close The only obstacle to his from his days with Sacramen- with him and get to know his goals proved to be his temper. to. softer side. After getting into a physical Mark Almond / Birmingham (Ala.) News 2009 That afternoon, the park Cousins considers commu- altercation with a faculty mem- fouling out on a technical. ica by 2020, its violent crime was home to the third annual nity outreach efforts such as ber on a school bus after a Hughley said a referee told him rate is almost twice the nation- “Boogie’s Party.” A Santa Cuz — to many NBA game, Cousins was suspended years later that there had been al average. crowd of more than 1,000 was players, a photo opportunity — for the second half of his soph- a conspiracy to ensure LeFlore “It’s just the struggle of be- entertained by New Orleans a personal experience not nec- omore season at Erwin High. lost because Cousins had not ing in the South, the struggle of rapper Juvenile. There was also essarily meant for public con- His repeated assertions that he chosen the University of Ala- being in Alabama,” said Le- free food and activities for kids. sumption. Still, Cousins, the was defending himself didn’t bama. Flore head basketball coach “Every mayor in America second-most ejected player in keep the incident from staining “The basketball community JefferyPope, who was an assis- would love to have a DeMarcus league history, won the inaugu- his reputation. It would follow in Alabama is very, very fra- tant on Cousins’ teams. “It’s Cousins,” Stimpson said. ral Offseason NBA Cares Com- him to the University of Ken- ternal, and DeMarcus was on tough. We’re always grinding. Tattooed across Cousins’ munity Award last year tucky and, ultimately, the the outside of all of that,” We’re always fighting to catch back are six words — “Home is for his service work in Ala- NBA. Hughley said. “There was a lot up.” where the heart is” — that bama, New Orleans, Sacra- Cousins briefly enrolled at of animus toward him for a lot Mobile has a rich athletic serve as a permanent reminder mento and South Africa. another Birmingham-area of different reasons. As a re- history. It claims five Baseball that, wherever basketball takes “He really can sniff out BS,” school, but was ruled ineligible sult, he found a way to defend Hall of Famers: Hank Aaron, him, he is the child of a single said Otis Hughley, who was after state athletic officials himself. He didn’t choose the Willie McCovey, Satchel Paige, mother in Mobile who worked Cousins’ head coach at Mo- determined he and two other right way. He was emotional.” Ozzie Smith and Billy Williams 12-hour shifts to give him and bile’s LeFlore Magnet High athletes had been improperly Despite being a consensus — more than any city other his five siblings a chance at School. “A nd I don’t think he recruited. In need of her home- top-five recruit nationally, a than Los Angeles and New something better. goes out of his way to do that. town support system, Monique McDonald’s All-American and Yo rk. The Raiders’ late quar- Cousins still struggles to It’s just that people have been moved the family back to Mo- a first-team Parade Magazine terback Ken Stabler, another rein in his temper at times, but so disingenuous throughout bile. All-American, Cousins was not Hall of Famer, grew up just he credits his Alabama support his life.” Though she was driving her named Alabama’s 2008-09 Mr. across Mobile Bay in Foley, system for putting him on a Soon after Cousins started to son four hours to Birmingham Basketball. Ala. path to give back. Earlier this gain national buzz as a ninth- to practice with the Storm, she In February 2010, before his But when Cousins was com- month, while at that Target in grader, high-profile AAU enrolled him at local power- Kentucky team played Ala- ing up, he saw few of Mobile’s Mobile, he saw a reflection of teams — with their free flights, house LeFlore High. Cousins bama, Cousins told reporters sports luminaries return home. himself in the smiling kids. sneakers and tickets to NBA had been impressed by the that “probably more people (in In 2014, after signing a four- “There’s a lot of good kids games — tried to poach him coach, Hughley, months earlier Alabama) are hoping for the year, $62 million contract ex- down there that just need a from Pritchett’s grassroots when they met at the state worst than anything.” Asked tension with the Sacramento chance,” Cousins said. “Mobile, operation. The Storm relied on championship game, and why his home state might feel Kings, Cousins met with May- it’s sad to say, is not a place of parent volunteers and car Hughley didn’t try to pitch him that way, he said, simply, “I’m or Stimpson at Stimpson’s many opportunities. I’m just a washes to help fund their bud- on joining the Rattlers. DeMarcus.” office to discuss ways to give guy trying to show these kids get, but Cousins didn’t care. With little other recourse back to the community. that there’s other ways, that Pritchett had been a father when playing Cousins, teams *** “It wasn’t easy,” Monique there’s other opportunities. figure when he sorely needed went at him physically, hoping More than 50 years after the said, referencing the tribula- Hopefully we can kind of ruin one. to provoke him. It often abolition of Jim Crow laws, tions DeMarcus endured as an that cycle of oppression and Cousins noticed how re- worked. In the state semifinals Mobile’s blacks and whites live Alabama high schooler. “But create other avenues for these cruiters’ demeanor changed of Cousins’ senior year, heavily in de facto separation. Nearly a it’s about the kids; it’s not kids.” once he told them he was stick- favored LeFlore lost to a Bir- quarter of the city’s population about those adults that made it ing with the Storm. To them, mingham team led by future falls below the poverty line. hard. And if he can go back Connor Letourneau is a San Cousins began to see, he was NBA guard . Despite Mayor Sandy Stimp- and say, ‘Hey, I did it. Yo u can Francisco Chronicle staff writer. nothing more than a commod- In that game, Cousins son’s campaign pledge to make do it, too,’ then maybe that’ll Email: cletourneau@sfchronicle. ity. missed 10 of his 12 shots before Mobile the safest city in Amer- encourage people to try even com. Twitter: @Con_Chron YOUR MEDICARE BENEFITS ARE AT RISK

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