Kings draft choices DeMarcus Cousins and Hassan Whiteside double-teamed members of the media in Arco Arena about an hour ago while they were officially introduced as members of the organization. Cousins, the 6-foot-11 center out of Kentucky who was selected with the No.5 overall draft pick, will wear jersey No. 15. Whiteside, a 7-foot center/forward from Marshall, will wear No.33. He chose the number because he was still available for the Kings to take him with the 33rd overall pick.
"We feel like we added size, skill, length, and ability to our frontcourt," Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie said in his introductory comments. "They both have a lot of natural ability and upside potential. We're looking for them coming in, being productive, helping our team grown and win more games. I'm looking forward to watching them play and working with them."
Cousins was accompanied by his agent, John Greig of Seattle. Whiteside arrived with his agent, Andre Buck, and his mother, Debbie Whiteside. During the media session, a beaming Debbie Whiteside sat among the reporters and snapped photos of the proceedings.
"This is just an incredibly proud moment for me," she said, having flown from her home in Gastonia, N.C. "Sitting there (New York) during the draft the other night, watching him slip, was really, really hard. But I think he's in a good place, and people are going to really like him here."
Cousins, looking resplendent in a silver blue suit, and light green shirt and tie, revealed that Sacramento was his preferred destination all along. "I'm glad to be here," said Cousins. "I hope I can come in and contribute and help us get some more wins."
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