DeMarcus Cousins joins Strong Group for upcoming Dubai run

FILE–Former NBA player DeMarcus Cousins during his stint with the Denver Nuggets. – Ethan Mito/Clarkson Creative/Getty Images/AFP

MANILA, Philippines—Philippine side Strong Group Athletics will have NBA caliber help for the upcoming 34th Dubai International Basketball Championship happening later this year.

That backing will come in the form of former NBA star DeMarcus Cousins.

On Saturday, SGA announced on its social media accounts that Cousins will be joining the Philippines’ squad in hopes of gaining redemption for the last iteration of the Dubai tilt.

READ: DeMarcus Cousins to play for Zamboanga Valientes

“DeMarcus is Strong. Strong Group Athletics are gearing up for redemption at the 34th Dubai International Basketball Championship,” wrote SGA in its Facebook post.

Cousins, a four-time NBA All-Star, will be Strong Group’s latest lineup reinforcement, replacing fellow veterans Dwight Howard and Andre Roberson.

The two-time Fiba gold medal winner for Team USA is the first addition for SGA with the goal of improving its finish from last year, where it settled for silver.

Al Riyadi emerged as the gold medal winner of that tournament.

READ: Strong Group loses Dubai title game on buzzer-beater

Cousins had a fruitful 12-year run in the NBA, having played for multiple teams and making an impact in squads like Sacramento, New Orleans, Golden State, Houston, Los Angeles, Milwaukee and Denver.

Following his departure from the NBA, he played in Taiwan’s T1 League, where he also dominated and regained the form he lost in the latter part of his NBA career.

He won the T1 title with the Taiwan Beer Leopards this year while also winning Finals MVP honors.

Cousins also played for Zamboanga Valientes in the Asian Tournament earlier this year.