DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo have often been seen as players with attitudes during their NBA careers. That could be part of what has made them close as teammates this season, when Rondo joined the Sacramento Kings on a one-year, free-agent contract.

James Jones of the Sacramento Bee goes into more detail on the Cousins-Rondo bond as the Kings head into Sunday night's game at Sleep Train Arena against the Portland Trail Blazers with Sacramento seeking its fourth straight home win:

"For years, Kings management tried to find players who could mentor Cousins in the ways of being an NBA superstar. The Kings may have struck gold with Rondo, the first former All-Star added to the mix. He’s the first player who can relate to the pressure and perceptions Cousins deals with. 'He’s a misunderstood kid,' Rondo said. 'I think that’s why I gravitate toward him so much. I love what he’s doing.'"

Cousins is averaging a career-high 24.5 points per game to go with 10.8 rebounds. Rondo is leading the league in assists with 11.3 per game. That's close to his averages when he led the NBA in 2011-12 and 2012-13 as an All-Star with the Boston Celtics.

The Kings stand one-half game behind the eighth-place Utah Jazz in the Western Conference seeking to earn their first playoff berth since 2006.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/sports/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-blog/article51640450.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/sports/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-blog/article51640450.html#storylink=cpy