Joerger wants Cousins to bury beef with Bee writer

Sacramento Kings head coach Dave Joerger doesn't want his All-Star center focusing his attention on select members of the media, which has only added fuel to his reputation of being a hot-headed, confrontational individual.

DeMarcus Cousins recently made headlines for getting in the face of Sacramento Bee columnist Andy Furillo in the locker room on Monday after the latter published an article referencing Cousins' younger brother, Jaleel, and an incident back in May where he was arrested. It was part of a larger piece concerning Boogie and teammate Matt Barnes being sued for allegedly assaulting two patrons at a New York nightclub earlier in the month.

"This guy is the face of our franchise," Joerger said of Cousins following his team's 99-79 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. "He's done and said some things that he wishes he could do over. He has improved.

"I'm not justifying anything that he's done. What he did was excessive. But enough is enough."

A video was released of Cousins calling out Furillo after Monday's 116-92 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. "We're going to have some real fucking issues," the 26-year-old big man said. "Don't ever mention my brother again."

Related: Kings probing incidents of Cousins bullying reporters

The Bee noted that Cousins was unwilling to talk to any reporters until Furillo left the room. It was also the first time the two had crossed paths since the article was released.