DeMarcus Cousins: ‘I don’t fire coaches or hire them’

George Karl is expected to be named the head coach of the Sacramento Kings after the All-Star break, and DeMarcus Cousins does not seem thrilled about it.

After an ESPN.com report on Tuesday indicated that the Kings are already operating as if Karl will take over the team, Cousins spoke to Marc Stein about the coaching situation.

“I don’t fire coaches or hire them,” Cousins said. “Everyone knows I liked and respected Coach [Mike] Malone. I didn’t want [Malone’s firing in December] to happen. I’m not involved in any coaching decisions right now. I’ve heard that George Karl is a great coach. If that is the direction that the organization chooses, I’ll support it.

“Out of respect for Coach [Tyrone] Corbin, I hadn’t planned on making any comments about what is rumored out there. But at this point I felt some things needed to be clarified.”

The Kings are 7-19 since Corbin took over for Malone, who had a strong relationship with Cousins. Earlier this week, Cousins went off in a bizarre postgame rant that made it clear he is unhappy with the direction of the team.

Cousins has had some problems with coaches in the past. We know Karl is not a huge fan of the superstar mentality, as evidenced by some remarks he made after the two parted ways a few years back. The situation will certainly be worth monitoring.