The Las Vegas Raiders are arguably the most iconic brand in all of professional sports, which helps the franchise draw support from every corner of the world. Raider Nation is synonymous with being the best fans in the NFL, and several famous people have shown their allegiance to the Silver and Black over the years as well.
Whether it's musicians like Ice Cube or Carlos Santana, entertainers like Jessica Alba, Zendaya, or Guy Fieri, or other professional athletes like Tiger Woods, Damian Lillard, or Zach Levine, the Nation is strong in every aspect of the word.
DeMarcus Cousins, a four-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA player, is also a member of Raider Nation and recently spoke on the roots of his fandom.
DeMarcus Cousins became a Raiders fan because of JaMarcus Russell
Cousins revealed the reason he became a Raiders fan on an episode of The Underground Lounge, a podcast hosted by former NBA star Lou Williams and Spank Horton. His following of the team was spurred by an infamous moment in Raiders history.
"(I'm) absolutely a Raiders fan," said Cousins. "Shout out to my big bro JaMarcus Russell, man. He's the reason why. (He's a) Mobile (Alabama) legend. ... He's the neighborhood hero, you know, number one pick in the NFL Draft. You don't get many of those. He's forever a legend, he's forever stamped, so shoutout to bro, he made me a Raiders fan."
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Russell was the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NFL Draft by the Raiders, which was a bit of a turning point for the franchise. When the pick happened, many felt that the team finally had another transformational player under center after the departure of Rich Gannon a few years earlier and that the Raiders would be set at quarterback for years to come.
However, when Russell turned out to be a bust, it caused irreversible damage to the organization. The team is still yet to find that superstar quarterback nearly two decades later, and it is largely because of their fear of striking out like they did in 2007.
Cousins respects Russell, not because he was some great NFL quarterback, but because he symbolized hope to kids in Mobile, Alabama. And while Russell is a predominantly hated figure in Raiders lore, Cousins clearly abides by the franchise's long-standing philosophy of "Once a Raider, always a Raider."