'Pain in the a**' Warriors coach's revelation about big recruit

DeMarcus Cousins is one of the most forceful personalities in NBA basketball.

The bruising big man has never been afraid to let people know what he thinks, as Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr found out.

Cousins signed with the defending champions after tearing his left achilles last season.

He returned to the court late in January, and his new coach revealed some of the trials and tribulations his recruit had gone through.

“I’ll be dead honest with you and you can print this: he was a pain in the a** when we were trying to get him ready and scrimmage,” Kerr told The Athletic.

“He was just so angry, because he wasn’t playing.

“He was just in a bad mood because he’s a passionate, emotional person and you think about what was taken away with the injury, not just the playing time and the joy of being out there, but the contract that he was looking at.

“His life got turned upside down.”

Cousins was perhaps aware of how difficult he’d been while going through the extensive rehabilitation process.

It was abundantly clear that every second not on the NBA court was a second wasted.

“I hated it!” Cousins told The Athletic.

“I hated it so much. I hated it.

“But I appreciated those guys just grinding with me, going through that grind with me, laying their bodies on the line.

“Of course, they’re not in basketball shape or even prepared physically to be out there playing. But to risk that for me … I appreciate those guys for it.”

WITH DREW SCHILLER/NBC SPORTS