There was an article released over this past weekend, stating the world’s eight richest individuals, possess as much combined wealth as the 3.6 billion people that make up the poorest half of the world’s population. Sheesh! Let’s put that in the context of the world of sports, more specifically, the reigning NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, boasting a starting lineup consisting of the following:
Stephen Curry – Two-time NBA MVP, five-time All-Star/All-NBA, one-time scoring champion/steals champion, three-time NBA champion, 2009-2010 NBA all-rookie team, third all-time in made three-pointers.
Kevin Durant – One-time NBA MVP, nine-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA, four-time scoring champion, two-time Finals MVP, one-time All-Star MVP, two-time NBA champion, 2007-08 Rookie of the Year.
Draymond Green – Three-time All-Star, three-time NBA champion, two-time All-NBA, 2016-17 Defensive Player of the Year/steals champion, four-time All-Defensive Team.
Klay Thompson – Four-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, three-time NBA champion, 2011-2012 NBA All-Rookie team; and . . .
now enter DeMarcus Cousins, a four-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, 2010-2011 All-Rookie team member, in his own right! It just doesn’t seem fair to add a player of Cousins’ caliber to this juggernaut, does it?
First, the non-news story about the Warren Buffett’s, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerburg’s of the world being collectively as wealthy as a whopping 3.6 billion people COMBINED, and then the Golden State Warriors go and pull a stunt like this???
Even with DeMarcus Cousins having missed nearly an entire calendar year while recovering from an Achilles injury, adding someone of this caliber, even at a diminished level (due to inactivity), just doesn’t seem fair. The above-referenced accolades only mention their NBA exploits, as Durant, Thompson, Green, and Cousins have all won Olympic gold medals representing the United States, while Curry has earned two gold medals representing the United States in the FIBA World Championships.
A group of players with this collective resume is quite impressive. Adding Cousins should continue the Warriors dominance over the rest of the league. A third championship seems to be a foregone conclusion, but as the erstwhile Chris Berman of ESPN fame so appropriately says, “That’s why they play the games.” If health is not an issue, a three-peat should not be out of the question, but injuries can level the playing field in a cruel and swift fashion. Only time will tell, but, as is most often in life, the addition of DeMarcus Cousins to an already loaded Golden State roster, is another example of the rich getting richer. Again.