Georges Niang currently calls the Cleveland Cavaliers home, but he has played for multiple teams throughout his career in the NBA.
During his time with the Utah Jazz, Niang had a very memorable moment with big man DeMarcus Cousins.
Sitting down on the Run Your Race show, via Legion Hoops, Niang recounted a time when he received a very colorful insult from Cousins.
Niang recalled when he missed a three-point shot in an embarrassing way and then heard a lot of pushback from Cousins, who was playing for the Golden State Warriors at the time.
“You suck. Who is this dude? This teletubby,” Cousins allegedly said, according to Niang.
DeMarcus Cousins to Georges Niang:
“You suck. Who is this dude? This teletubby.” 😭💀
(via Run Your Race, @TidalLeague) pic.twitter.com/5OSngxFGkt
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) November 14, 2023
Throughout his story, Niang made it obvious that Cousins was intimidating him during that game early in his career.
This isn’t a shock, considering Cousins was one of the most hot-headed, outspoken, and in-your-face players in the league.
He repeatedly let his opponents know exactly what he thought about them.
Niang’s story had a happy ending: he eventually received the ball from teammate Ricky Rubio and was able to redeem himself with a successful three-pointer.
He said that three-pointer essentially saved his career.
Niang’s story is a testament to just how intense the NBA can be and how seriously players take the game.
This incident could have been enough to undercut Niang’s confidence for years to come but instead, he pushed past it and retained belief in himself.
He later moved on to the Philadelphia 76ers before coming to the Cavaliers.
So far this season, Niang is averaging 6.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists.
Cousins’ comments definitely got under his skin but it didn’t stop Niang.
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