John Calipari gives advice to Rockets’ Stephen Silas

Calipari sounds off on culture and Houston Rockets center DeMarcus Cousins

Calipari joined Rockets reporter Cayleigh Griffin on Rockets All-Access to explain the culture he implemented with the talented duo.

“When you’ve been through, here, what these kids go through, you experience it and you understand that you have to sacrifice for each other and you have to be a great teammate for this to work, that’s the culture.

You have to put in extra time. When you do it together, there’s something that’s there.

When you’re there together, like John and DeMarcus were, and again, they set the stage of what this would become. I had no idea that players would be able to leave after a year.

I just told those guys, don’t leave here alone. Take people with you. Be great teammates, and they were.”

Calipari went into specifics about the expectations he laid upon Cousins and how he motivated him to commit to being in peak physical condition.

“DeMarcus, early on, tried to find his way, conditioning wise. I had to let him know if you’re not able to get through conditioning, you’ll never be a starter here. I’ll play you, and I love you to death, but you’re never starting.

Well, then he made every conditioning. What you found out was a big-hearted, good kid. He would get emotional, but I was emotional so none of it bothered me.”

Next: Cal shares experience with Wall