Raider Nation Origin Stories: Meet DeMarcus Cousins, 4-time NBA All-Star

Sep 07, 2026 at 10:20 AM

Digital Team Reporter

It's hard not to notice DeMarcus Cousins.

Standing at 6-foot-10 with his playing weight hovering around 270 pounds, he walked through the fan section of training camp practice on August 7, and half of Raider Nation either mobbed him for photos or just gawked over the size of the former NBA center.

Cousins has been a Las Vegas resident for 10 years now, but his fandom for the Silver and Black originated in his hometown of Mobile, Alabama.

Splitting time between Mobile and Birmingham, Alabama, as a kid, he had a first-hand look at five-star quarterback prospect JaMarcus Russell – who ironically attended Cousins' rival high school.

He kept up with the hometown hero throughout his illustrious college career at LSU and later when Russell became the Oakland Raiders' No. 1 overall pick in 2007 NFL Draft.

"Regardless of how it turned out as far as his professional career ... he's the reason why I became a Raiders fan," Cousins told Raiders.com.

"When the Raiders moved out here, it felt like a gift sent from God, specifically for me," he said. "[Being] from Alabama, we never had our own professional sports team, so the team I was a fan of, I've always had to be a fan from afar. I feel like it was meant to be and that's how I know this place is home for me."

Cousins went from five-start prospect to playing one season at Kentucky and then was selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft to the Sacramento Kings.

With Oakland a quick trip down I-80 from the state capital, Cousins attended his first Raiders game at the Coliseum in his fourth season in the NBA.

"I think it's a collective group, a collective community of passionate fans," Cousins said. "They kind of got that grittiness to them, not scared to do the dirty work. I like those type of fans. I like the hard workers, I like the 'us against the world' type attitude. That's what represents Raider Nation."

And while Russell was Cousins' gateway into Raider Nation, he also labeled Charles Woodson as one of his favorite Raiders of all time.

Over the years during his NBA career, he had the chance to forge a personal relationship with the Pro Football Hall of Famer he once watched on television.

"We have a lot of mutual friends that have kind of eventually brought our circles together," Cousins said of Woodson. "His legacy speaks for itself. He's one of one. Just being able to have a relationship with him, outside of also being a fan at the same time, I think that's really cool."

After practice, Cousins and his family made their way to the field to meet a few players. Even standing next to some of the largest on the roster such as Tyler Linderbaum, Kolton Miller and Maxx Crosby, Cousins towered over them.

Based off what he saw at practice, he's optimistic for the Silver and Black's future.

"The future is bright for the Raiders right now," he said. "Got the No. 1 pick in [Fernando] Mendoza, We got an incredible pick in [Ashton] Jeanty as well. We've improved our O-line, our defense is unbelievable – I believe they could be top 5 or top 10 in the league.

"Our future is bright."

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Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Jahfari Harvey (91) before practice at 2026 Training Camp at Intermountain Health Performance Center.