HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610) -- DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall have dreamed of playing together again for years, so Wednesday's blockbuster trade that sent Wall and a first round pick to the Rockets for Russell Westbrook was sort of a dream come true.
"We're super excited," Cousins said Thursday. "There's obviously a chemistry between me and him from our college days."
Cousins and Wall played together at Kentucky 11 years ago, but their ties run much deeper.
"We've known each other since we were 14 years old, so that's a guy I consider one of my better friends in the NBA. He's actually one of the groomsmen in my wedding, so that's a brother for life."
A torn achilles kept Wall off the floor last season, so it will be close to two years since he's played in a game when the Rockets open their season later this month, but Cousins says his Kentucky teammate is doing just fine.
"He's in a great place physically, and most importantly, mentally. Not only has he battled with his injury, but also this he's battled with things in his personal life, so he's also had to overcome a lot of things in these past couple years."
Cousins knows what it's like to battle back. He tore his achilles in the fourth quarter of a game against the Rockets on January 26, 2018 and has appeared in just 36 NBA games since. After returning from the achilles tear, Cousins tore his quad during the 2019 playoffs. He returned to play in the NBA Finals, but after signing with the Los Angeles Lakers that summer he tore his ACL, ending his 2019-20 season before it started.
"Hell and back," Cousins said of his journey over the last 34 months. "I'd be lying if I didn't tell you the task was tough, but I think I'm built for it. I took it with a stride and I just fought through, and I willed my way through."
The 10-year veteran was selected for four straight All Star games from 2015-2018 and averaged during 27 points and 11 rebounds during his last full NBA season and while the last three years have been challenging, Cousins believes he's better because of it.
"I learned a lot about myself and just life in general. Even though it was a tough time of my life, I'm grateful for it. I think I've grown in a lot of areas of my life. Everybody's story is different. This just so happens to be mine, so I'm gonna roll with the punches.
