DeMarcus Cousins baffled by technical foul for throwing shoe vs. Hornets

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DeMarcus Cousins has a history of technical fouls. A long history. 

The Warriors' center has 123 total techs to his name over his 10-year career, but Monday brought a new one. 

With 4:51 left in the Warriors' 121-110 win over the Hornets, Cousins was hit with a technical foul for a bizarre reason. Hornets guard Jeremy Lamb's shoe came off near the free throw line and the Golden State's big man calmly tossed it to the sidelines. Referee Brian Forte quickly T'd him up. 

Cousins, who missed nearly a year of action after tearing his Achilles last season, was upset by the decision. 

"Next time I'll just step on the shoe and roll my ankle, break it, tear an Achilles," Cousins said to reporters after the game. "Just leave it out there next time. I guess that's what they want. I'll keep that in mind."

So, why did he get the technical foul? The answer from the ref was simple: "Basically, you can't throw a shoe."

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Cousins wasn't the only Warrior surprised by the call. Draymond Green couldn't believe it either. 

"I don't know if I've ever seen that," Green said. "But that's crazy. It's sitting in the middle of the floor. I don't know. We have all these rules for player safety. You can barely contest a shot without getting a foul, but you're supposed to leave a shoe sitting there.

"It's just kind of crazy to me, but it is what it is." 

Evidently, the NBA agreed with Cousins and rescinded his technical foul on Tuesday afternoon. 

Steph Curry, like always, took the lighter approach to a heated situation.

"He's got to be a little bit more delicate throwing it to the sideline -- like horseshoes," Curry said, "Just got to touch the line and sit down, not throw it in the stands. He's too strong, that's all. Too strong."

[RELATED: NBA panel changes opinion on Durant's future with Warriors]

The good news is, Cousins had his best game as a Warrior. He scored a season-high 24 points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, one game after showing clear frustration with a rough stretch of play. 

When he plays like this, the Warriors are nearly unstoppable. And next time, just think horseshoes, Boogie.

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