DeMarcus Cousins plays Santa for underprivileged youth
Although he's not certainly not a jolly man on the court, off the court, Sacramento Kings star DeMarcus Cousins seems like a pretty good guy.
This past Monday night, Cousins held his fourth annual holiday shopping spree for Sacramento-area underprivileged youth at Arden Fair Mall in Sacramento.
Through Cousins, 100 kids from underprivileged communities in the Sacramento area were given $200 to spend on holiday presents for themselves, friends or family.
"I grew up in these kids' shoes — not as fortunate — I didn't have the best Christmases," Cousins said Monday night. "Me having my (celebrity) status, or whatever you want to call it, I'm just playing my part in giving back to the kids."
The event also gave Cousins a chance to reflect on life outside of basketball.
"I'm sitting here looking at my so-called adversity compared to these guys — the real-life situations — not knowing if they can eat each night; I can't really complain," Cousins said.
Upon completion of their shopping spree, each of the 100 kids lined up to take a picture with the NBA All-Star to cap off the night.
Turns out "Boogie" is pretty good dude off of the court, which is in contrast to the public persona most think of with the seemingly moody star.
From run-ins with coach George Karl to bewildering decisions on the court, his reputation hasn't always been the best. But this shows the more lovable side of Cousins, who is on pace for yet another All-Star season, averaging a double-double with 25.2 points and 10.6 rebounds per game for the 9-15 Kings.
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