Former Nuggets big man wins Finals MVP overseas in international league

While the Nuggets are sitting at home getting ready to watch the NBA Finals from their couches like everyone else, surely some in the front office are lamenting the lack of a backup big man. The team faced issues similar to what they have in past years; when Nikola Jokic went to the bench, they struggled. 

Clearly with so much invested in Jokic and the desire to play him heavy minutes at center, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to pay big money for a backup center. But it’s still an important need and they can’t simply hemorrhage points every time he has to sit. DeAndre Jordan and Zeke Nnaji weren’t up to the task this year and neither player earned Michael Malone’s trust enough to sniff the playoff rotation for the Nuggets.

DeMarcus 'Boogie' Cousins wins Finals MVP in Taiwan

But at least one former Jokic backup is thriving away from the NBA. NBA legend DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins just helped lead the Taiwan Beer Leopards to a T1 League championship in Taiwan where he earned Finals MVP honors. Cousins put up 24 points and 24 rebounds in the decisive final game.

Still just 33 years old, Cousins averaged over 14 points a game for nine straight seasons upon entering the league. He made four all-star game appearances and averaged 25.2 points and 12.9 rebounds in the 2017-18 season for the Pelicans.

But he missed the entire 2019-20 season with a torn ACL and was never the same player again. Boogie last played in the NBA with the Nuggets at the end of the 2021-22 season, averaging 8.9 points and 5.5 rebounds in 13.9 minutes per game while appearing in 31 games for the team, almost entirely in a backup role to Jokic.

Could Cousins and the Nuggets reunite in 2024-25?

Who knows? Maybe this performance in Taiwan will rejuvenate NBA interest in Cousins and perhaps the Nuggets could do worse at the backup center position. Honestly, it’s hard to imagine that this version of Cousins couldn’t give them better production than Jordan on a veteran minimum contract. 

It’s worth a shot, but even if Cousins never makes it back to the league, this is a nice accomplishment for the veteran big man and it’s nice to see him impacting winning and putting up big numbers on a basketball court, wherever it may be.