DeMarcus Cousins says firsthand experiences have shown him both sides of racial/police tension

We’ve heard too many stories in the past few weeks about tensions between African Americans and police, and this morning, The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears has a compelling interview with DeMarcus Cousins, who says he’s witnessed both sides of the issue first hand. Cousins tells Spears about an incident in high school in which he and his friends had guns pulled on them by cops for no reason; however, Cousins says his friendship with a police officer from Mobile, Alabama has helped him see both sides.

Cousins, however, doesn’t appear to be bitter, since he has learned a lot about the other side from a Mobile police officer he has been close to for years. The Sacramento Kings center said he preferred not to reveal the officer’s identity, but called him “one of the good guys” and described his job as “incredibly hard.” He recently talked to his police officer friend and mentor about the recent news of police officers killing African-American men and shooting ambushes.

“I’ve learned about both sides,” Cousins said. “I respect him. I just had dinner with him the other day in Vegas. Me and his son grew up playing basketball together … I know there are good [cops]. I know that there are not good ones.

“He told me the truth, which I respect. The truth is there are good and bad. We know that. That’s the case in a lot of situations. It’s not just with [policemen]. It’s throughout the world.”

Interesting stuff from DeMarcus, whose maturity is really on display this summer.

[The Undefeated]