DeMarcus Cousins, nicknamed 'Boogie' is one of the most notorious characters in the NBA. He was recently anointed as the franchise player of the new look Sacramento Kings.

Despite all his rumored character problems both on and off the court, a young, talented seven footer is virtual gold in the NBA. For all the criticism that the new Sacramento Kings ownership received in signing him to a lucrative long term deal, we can't deny the fact that if they let Boogie go, several teams would offer him the same, if not a bigger contract.

Recently, Cousins was highly criticized for being a bad teammate. After the fame against the LA Clippers where he missed a desperation shot at the buzzer, Cousins pulled away his teammate Isaiah Thomas away from LA Clippers guard Chris Paul as they were about to shake hands. It led to Paul's comment on Fox Sports: "He's young, man. He don't know no better. He needs some guidance. It is what it is."

Some will justify it as passion for the game. Cousins was not the only one who snubbed a handshake. It can be recalled that in Game 7 of the hotly contested Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat last summer, veteran David West and Roy Hibbert both skipped the post-game courtesies. But for an early regular season game, critics call it 'immature' and 'childish.'

However, the Sacramento Bee reports that Boogie is actually in a more mature role. He has been deeply involved in promoting adoption efforts in animal shelters. Also, he is partial to pit bull terriers.

As he mentioned in the SacBee report: "I can relate to it. It's a fact."

Boogie is often compared to the temperamental pit bull on the court, but he is actually very gentle to canines. He adds: "They're the only dogs I really cared for. I grew up loving them,"

The City Shelter manager Gina Knepp has praised the Kings center's efforts to promote animal adoption. She states: "DeMarcus could really help increase adoptions, not only for pit bulls but for all of our dogs and cats. Plus, he's got a lot of expendable income. Maybe he'll give us some of it!"