Jeff Chiu/Associated Press The Golden State Warriors kicked off the 2018-19 season Monday with their annual media day, which was filled with several interesting moments from players and coaches returning from the summer off. DeMarcus Cousins was one of the main attractions on the day in his debut with his new team. He was able to join the Warriors at a relative discount as he recovers from his torn Achilles that ended his last season, but he is back on track to return this season. "I'm getting my feet back under me," Cousins said, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. "Starting to feel like an athlete again." The center also explained where his motivation comes from to get back on the court. "The haters," Cousins said, per Slater. "That's all I need. I feed off of it. I love it." Stephen Curry is already used to being the hunted, and he discussed the challenges of competing for a title while navigating a loaded Western Conference: Video Play Button Videos you might like One major question mark surrounding the Warriors going into this year is how long the core can remain together. Draymond Green discussed his future with the team, easing concerns from anyone who thought he might be leaving when he becomes a free agent after the 2019-20 season. "I'm confident that I'll be here a very long time," the forward said Monday, per Nick Friedell of ESPN. Even after winning a third title in four years, Green remains focused on working toward a fourth championship. "None of us are ready for this run to come to an end," he added. Klay Thompson is in the final year of his contract but apparently isn't curious about hitting the open market. "When guys go into free agency, they're looking for situations like mine," he said, per Slater. "I'm content." Kevin Durant also has the potential to opt out after this season, but general manager Bob Myers broke down his future: On the other hand, head coach Steve Kerr could see this as the last hurrah: Kerr explained how the team should feel going into the 2018-19 season, per Jeff Faraudo of the Mercury News: "We are playing with some house money. We have won three of the past four championships. Our place in the history of the league is pretty secure. I don't think our guys should feel a ton of pressure. They should feel the importance of trying to do it again because this may be the last time we have this current iteration of the Warriors, given all the free agents and money crunch and everything else." Durant was especially noncommittal, saying, "We'll see what happens after the year," per Friedell. The first who could go is restricted free agent Patrick McCaw, who is holding out and won't sign his offer sheet of $1.74 million, according to Ali Thanawalla of NBC Sports. Tim Kawakami of The Athletic speculated how the Warriors might handle the situation: There were also some light moments throughout the day, including Cousins discussing some real challenges of his move to the Bay Area: He also apparently hadn't met Thompson until Monday despite joining the Warriors in July, per Monte Poole of NBC Sports. Green got the chance to release his first yell of the season: Durant also joked about Curry bulking up for the upcoming year: Andre Iguodala might have come through with the most honest moment of the day when asked if he thinks he deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame when his career is over. "I don't," the 34-year-old said, per Ray Ratto of NBC Sports. "I know some guys who belong that aren't there, some guys who are in there but aren't better than guys who aren't. But me, I don't." The Warriors will now turn their attention to getting back in playing shape while preparing for their first preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday.<doc-sep>Perhaps the only thing DeMarcus Cousins is better at than basketball is holding a grudge. Over his eight NBA seasons, Cousins has made a habit of taking critical articles and filing them into a mental folder. In a practice made famous by such greats as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, he calls up that negative fodder often, using it to fuel him through a workout or game. Cousins has benefited more from his doubters in the past eight months than ever before. Asked at Warriors media day Monday for what has most helped him rehab from a torn Achilles tendon, he said, “The haters. That’s all I need. I feed off of it. I love it.” It is that bravado, not his soft touch around the rim or hulking frame, that might be Golden State’s biggest asset over the next six months. Even as he sits out the early part of the season, Cousins will infuse the locker room with much-needed enthusiasm. Last season, after making only tweaks to the roster, the Warriors were plagued by complacency before they finally snapped out of their malaise in the NBA Finals. The front office entered free agency in July looking for a new element to keep things interesting until the games that matter. What Golden State got was a four-time All-Star desperate to hush anyone who questioned whether he could be a productive member of a winning team. Now Playing: DeMarcus Cousins at Warriors media day Video: SFChronicle Cousins, who signed a one-year deal for $5.3 million, has hardly forgotten those who called him a losing player and argued that he had held back the Pelicans last season. Because even though he averaged 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.6 blocks in 48 games before his injury, New Orleans somehow performed better without him. “I’m stubborn as hell,” said Cousins, who will be re-evaluated in four weeks. “I thought I knew that before, but I’m really starting to realize it now. My drive has only increased. I’m seriously like a madman right now. “I think you guys will see a new DeMarcus on the floor. I can’t wait to get to that point just to show all the work I have put in.” Cousins’ Twitter and Instagram timelines have offered a steady stream of updates on his rehab. In an Instagram post shared late last month, he is seen dribbling between his legs, hitting spot-up jumpers and dunking with one hand. Cousins has participated in sessions of one-on-one and two-on-two. Still, the Warriors aren’t ready to set a target date for his return. A loaded roster ensures that Cousins can take all the time he needs to return to the court. “I know there’s a narrative that we’ll save DeMarcus for the playoffs, and that’s inaccurate,” general manager Bob Myers said. “When he can play, he’ll play. We won’t rush him, but we also won’t hold him back.” Interactive How Curry's 3-point shooting changed the game Stephen Curry has not only led a Warriors resurgence since entering the league, he has changed the game with his long-distance shooting. With Cousins sidelined, Jordan Bell, Kevon Looney and Damian Jones — three young big men with a combined 206 games of NBA experience — will compete to start at center on opening night. Cousins, who has been criticized for not being much of a leader, has worked out with Bell and Jones. It only helps Cousins’ transition that he is friends with Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson from their time together on Team USA. Durant, Curry and Green each called Cousins within minutes after news broke of his signing. Thompson, not a big fan of offseason phone calls, waited until Monday to catch up with his new teammate. While posing for a group photo at media day, Cousins, wearing a white Nike headband to match his white No. 0 uniform, jokingly bumped Durant, smiled and pulled back his shoulders to signal good posture. Curry, ball in hand, grinned as he watched the scene. It was a bit of levity to start a season that is sure to test the resolve of a team chasing its third straight NBA championship. “I never thought this situation would happen, but it’s happened,” Cousins said. “This is my team, and anybody that’s followed me before this moment, you know how I fight for my team. It’s the same thing. Step on them, you’re stepping on me.” Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cletourneau@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Con_Chron<doc-sep>
OAKLAND — DeMarcus Cousins is trying to be patient about when his surgically repaired Achilles tendon will allow him to join the Warriors on the floor. But the four-time All-Star center knows his new team will be something special when it happens. “On paper it looks great,” Cousins said during the Warriors’ media day on Monday. “The potential is scary for this team. It’s on us to bring the potential out.” Cousins signed a one-year contract with the Warriors in the offseason after the 2017-18 campaign with New Orleans was ended by the injury in late January. The rehab process over the past seven months has been difficult, he said. “I would be lying if I told you anything different,” Cousins said. “It’s taken a lot of dedication. It’s been a real grind, one of the hardest things physically and mentally I’ve been through in my career so far. I learned a lot about myself.” For instance? “I’m stubborn as hell,” he said. “I thought I knew that, but I’m really starting to realize it now. My drive has only increased. I’m seriously like a madman. “I think you guys will see a new DeMarcus on the floor. I can’t wait to get to that point.” Cousins, 28, said he is feeling healthier than he has since the surgery. He called the episode “an adventure.” “I’m in a lot better place now,” he said. “Physically, I’m coming along. As of now there haven’t been any setbacks. I’m feeling a lot stronger, getting my feet back under me and starting to feel like an athlete again.” At this point, Cousins said, there is no specific timetable for his return to action. It will be based strictly on when he is healthy and ready. He is not targeting a special game on the schedule. “Whenever I return is a special game for me,” he said. Cousins, who has averaged 21.5 points and 11.0 rebounds over his eight-year NBA career, has the chance to be part of a playoff team for the first time. “I never thought this situation would happen,” he said. “It’s happened. This is my team. Anybody who’s followed me, you know how I fight for my team. It’s the same thing here.” Although he just met Klay Thompson for the first time on Monday, Cousins thinks he has a pretty good idea what to expect in the Warriors’ locker room. “I think it’s going to be a lot of fun, actually. Of course, Draymond (Green) is going to be yelling. We all know that. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun, a locker room with a lot of laughing.” Cousins said he knew from the moment he signed with the Warriors on July 6 that the fit was going to be comfortable. Many of his high-profile new teammates reached out to him and shared how excited they were that he will join them. Related Articles Warriors and their fans have been part of NBA’s fans vs. players problem Steve Kerr admits he can’t stop thinking about Klay Thompson’s return Andrew Wiggins wants to play in the Olympics. Will Steph Curry appear in his first Games? Kurtenbach: The Warriors can’t make the same mistake again this offseason Warriors exit interviews: Wiseman in future plans, help for Curry, the Klay-Oubre puzzle and more “It was all exciting, a surprise to me,” he said. “They could be the type of guys who say we don’t need any more help or another player. But they welcomed me with open arms. Any player appreciates that coming from their teammates. It was a warm feeling for me.” Cousins, who spent the first six-plus seasons of his career just two hours away in Sacramento, said adjusting to the Bay Area hasn’t been altogether smooth. “This traffic is crazy,” he said. “I’m still trying to find the right times to drive.”