DeMarcus Cousins is one of the NBA's most talented big men, but he's developed a reputation for being unable to control his emotions.

“There’s been a lot of ups and downs throughout my career and all I can do is stay as positive as possible,” Cousins said. “There’s light at the end of the tunnel. That’s the biggest thing you can look forward to. That’s what I tell myself all the time, ‘It’s not as bad as it was before.’ I’m in a better place than I was before.

“The whole reputation thing, I’m over. People can think what they want to think. The only people who really matter are the guys on the team. It’s easy to kick somebody when they’re down, and I feel like that was the case [with me].”