Ex-NBA star DeMarcus Cousins beefs up Zamboanga Valientes for The Asian Tournament final

MANILA, Philippines -- Four-time NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins will be spearheading the Zamboanga Valientes for the final leg of The Asian Tournament.

The international tournament will kick off on Monday, August 5, and will last up to August 12. Games will be played in Zamboanga City.

The 33-year-old Cousins, who arrived in the country on Friday, said that he is excited to suit up for the Valientes and help the Philippine squad win the championship.

“[My teammates] are hardworking, talented, I think they’re serious about winning. So, I’m happy about that,” he said in a media interview on Saturday.

“It’s a good group. I’m excited to be here, I’m excited to play, I can’t wait to get on the floor with these guys,” he added.

Cousins will be the main man in the middle for Zamboanga, as he will be bolstered by a deep roster containing guard Mike Tolomia, center Malick Diouf and forward Mac Belo, to name a few.

“I’m excited. This is new for me, I’ve never been before, this is a brand new experience so I’m super excited about that. I’ve heard the fans here are extremely passionate, they love the game of basketball,” he said.

“I can’t wait to display my talent, play in front of a crowd, and feed off their energy and their love,” he added.

Zamboanga team owner Junnie Navarro raved about Cousins’ expected impact for the squad.

“Boogie is a four-time NBA All-Star. We want to inspire the Filipinos, especially the Zamboangenos. We want to show a high-caliber import who can help us and who can inspire our local players and who can help us win the championship.”

Cousins, along with Dwight Howard, Quinn Cook and Filipino player Alex Cabagnot, recently won the Taiwan leg of the tourney with the Taiwan Mustangs.