DeMarcus Cousins took part in his first five-on-five full contact practice today in Santa Cruz. The four-time NBA All-Star was assigned on Monday to practice with Golden State’s G League affiliate.

Cousins is rehabbing from a left Achilles injury he suffered in late January and has yet to suit up for Golden State. According to Cousins, there is no date that he is targeting for a return, only that he will know when his body is ready to compete.

“I want to be one-hundred percent, or as close to one-hundred percent as I can be when I do return. I want my body in tip-top shape,” Cousins said. “It’s not even about the Achilles it’s about my other body parts and just making sure everything is fine-tuned and in the best shape possible to go out there and play a full game.”

According to Cousins, he was able to participate in three “six-or-seven minute quarters”, competing in the entire scrimmage.

“It felt good, my body felt good, rhythm wasn’t quite there where I wanted it to be,” Cousins said. “But as far as my body and getting up-and-down and pushing the limit it felt great.”

It’s been nearly a year since Cousins has played in a full game, and trying to find that rhythm for him is important, but through the months of rehab and recovery it’s been a humbling experience.

“It’s really tested me as a person and as a man,” Cousins said. “I’ve had a lot of dark days, a lot of good days. I’ve questioned myself a lot but I found a way to overcome all those bad feelings.”

Cousins wanted to return to the court and make sure he’s at his absolute best when he does. Taking part in Monday’s practice is a part of that process.

“It was my idea, I wanted to come down,” Cousins said. “Before I ever step foot on the floor I want to get in some kind of basketball rhythm.” Cousins wanted to compete in five-on-five activities before stepping foot on an NBA floor as opposed to just two-on-two or three-on-three drills.

While Cousins is scheduled to only practice with Santa Cruz, it’s still up in the air whether he will suit up for a game in Surf City.

“I don’t know, we’ll see what happens,” Cousins said. “I’ll discuss with Bob (Myers) and some of the guys at the top and once we come together and figure something out I’m pretty sure you guys will know.”

Cousins said he has reached out to several current and former players about the Achilles injury and recovery, including Dominique Wilkins, Kobe Bryant, Wes Matthews and Rudy Gay. According to Cousins, however, he wasn’t consistent with contact with them.

“I kind of wanted to go and learn through this process on my own,” Cousins said. “Every guy is different, every guy handles injuries differently, their mindset is different. I know myself and how I get through situations, so I took in the information that would help.”

Cousins was able to hit the court with his younger brother Jaleel, who plays for Santa Cruz. This was the first time he had ever suited up alongside his brother on the same floor.

“It was fun,” Cousins said. “We actually had a play today where I got a little pass over the top and he dunked on one of the players so that was a cool moment for me.”

At the end of the day for Cousins, playing in Santa Cruz doesn’t feel any different than playing on the court with Golden State.

“I don’t look at this as anything but an opportunity to get better and prepare myself,” Cousins said. “I’m happy to be in this situation, I’m going to take full advantage of it and have fun while I’m doing it.”

Click here to listen to the entire audio interview with DeMarcus Cousins and the media