George Karl finally burying hatchet with 1 prominent player?

Mar 15, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings head coach George Karl reacts during an NBA game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center. The Kings defeated the Lakers 106-98. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Furious George may not be nearly so furious any more.

Four-time All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins had a candid interview this week with Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports in which he admitted to mistakes during his NBA career but said that he has learned from them and is hoping for another shot. You can read Cousins’ full interview with Haynes here.

George Karl, who was Cousins’ coach on the Sacramento Kings, surprisingly came out with a supportive message in response to Cousins’ interview.

“DeMarcus is, hands down, one of the most talented players I’ve ever coached and a valuable part of the right team’s bench still today,” wrote Karl. “Hope you find a good fit @boogiecousins.”

DeMarcus is, hands down, one of the most talented players I’ve ever coached and a valuable part of the right team’s bench still today.

Hope you find a good fit @boogiecousins https://t.co/baQw5vw0Ks

— George Karl (@CoachKarl22) October 5, 2022

That is an unexpected sentiment from Karl, who prominently feuded with Cousins throughout their time in Sacramento. The two were only together for one-and-a-half seasons, but they got into multiple confrontations. Karl reportedly pushed the Kings to get rid of Cousins, who was the team’s star player at the time, before getting fired in 2016. Cousins was then traded by Sacramento several months later.

The bad blood lingered for years afterwards with Karl even taking public shots at Cousins as recently as last April. But Karl’s latest message here seems genuine, especially since he commented only on Cousins’ talent. Maybe their longstanding beef is finally over.