DeMarcus Cousins ​​teams up with Dwight Howard and Quinn Cook in Taiwan

DeMarcus Cousins ​​​​has already won the T1 Taiwan League Championship this summer. Now he is teaming up with several former Los Angeles Lakers to chase the Asian Tournament (TAT) title.

Cousins ​​joins Dwight Howard and Quinn Cook on the Taiwan Mustangs, which is partially owned by Howard, for the event. The three were teammates on the 2019-20 Los Angeles squad that won the NBA Finals, although Cousins ​​never played a game for the Lakers after tearing his left ACL in an offseason pickup game in August 2019 . Howard previously played for the Taiwan Beer Leopards, the team with which Cousins ​​won the T1 title earlier this month.

Boogie was named Finals MVP after posting 24 points, 24 rebounds, two steals, two blocks and an assist in the championship game of Game 4. He officially retired from the NBA in February 2024, telling USA Today’s Hoops Hype that he is done to move. on to the next chapter of his life. Taiwan has played a large part in this so far.

“My time in Taiwan was incredible,” he said in February. “I’ve met some really nice and genuine people, which is rare given the times we live in now. So to be able to meet really nice people with good intentions, that’s really great.”

“Just the culture, the way they behave, the hospitality. And you know, I’m a huge foodie. The fastest way to convince me is with a good plate of food. So I went there and the food was incredible. You know, the hot pots and the Wagyu barbecues and stuff like that. It was very cool. So I enjoyed my time there. I look forward to spending more time there.”

Howard, 38, has not played in the NBA with the Lakers since the 2021-2022 season. The eight-time NBA All-Star took his career abroad in November 2022, joining the Taiwan Beer Leopards and then Strong Group Athletics in the Philippines and Mets de Guaynabo in Puerto Rico. In May 2024, Howard signed with the Taiwan Mustangs, becoming the league’s first player and co-owner. Bringing Cousins ​​and Cook on board is part of his quest to recruit more NBA stars to play in Taiwan.

The Mustangs are now the favorites to win the Asian Tournament, which also features teams from the Philippines, China, Japan and South Korea. The TAT Taipei Game Round will take place from July 26 to August 1 in Taipei.

Enjoy some highlights from Boogie’s first season in T1 below.