Let's get the easy part out of the way: DeMarcus Cousins' actions were inexcusable.

Following the Kings' 116-92 victory Monday against the Lakers, the 6-11, 270-pound center confronted Sacramento Bee columnist Andy Furillo face-to-face (well, it was more like face-to-nipple, but you get the point) in the home locker room. Irked by the mention of younger brother Jaleel's involvement in a bar fight in Tampa, Fla., an incident during which the All-Star was present, at the tail end of a Dec. 9 piece that DeMarcus Cousins and teammate Matt Barnes for allegedly assaulting a couple in a New York City nightclub earlier this month, the gold-medalist promptly cursed out Furillo.

"We’re going to have some real f—ing issues," Cousins said. "Don’t ever mention my brother again. You don't know my f—ing brother. F—ing coward. You can say whatever the f— you want about me, but don't mention my muthaf—ing family."

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The Bee posted video of the incident, along with other times Cousins tried to bully the media:

Regardless of his rocky relationship with Sacramento media, Cousins was dead wrong like that Biggie song.

It's not like Furillo said something about DeMarcus' mother, his girl or one of his children. Jaleel Cousins, who plays for the NBA D-League's Texas Legends, is 23 and a professional athlete in his own right. He was charged with a misdemeanor after the aforementioned brawl, during which he threw several haymakers. So Furillo's citing what happened in Tampa was totally appropriate.

Try as he might, DeMarcus cannot do much to protect his younger brother in that situation. Besides that, Cousins, who despite being called everything but a child of God for failing to control his emotions on the court, much to the chagrin of his critics waiting to pounce and label him a thug, has been a model citizen off it since entering the league until recently.

Though neither he nor Barnes have been charged for their alleged roles in the encounter in New York, Cousins admitted to swinging on somebody in the aftermath of it in a video obtained by TMZ. While law enforcement is still mulling an indictment, both are being sued, and the big man may have to part with a significant amount of money.

So, there's that.

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However, there's something else that's equally undeniable in this whole situation.

Sacramento media is sensationalizing the hell out of this entire ordeal, and it's plain to see.

First of all, Furillo's column was wack.

In a failed attempt to be clever, he clothed legitimate criticism of Cousins and Barnes' actions in a horribly inaccurate take on their choice of places to party. According to him, back in the day, celebrities chose to patronize "decent" venues such as Studio 54 — you know the popular disco of the 1970s and '80s notorious for violating state liquor laws, being raided and hosting massive cocaine consumption. Avenue, the spot attended by Cousins and Barnes, apparently has some really bad Yelp reviews, so that should've let them both know they should've stayed in their hotel rooms and played "NBA 2K17."

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However, Bee executive editor Joyce Terhaar's take, well, takes the cake.

She paints Cousins as a mythical behemoth, ready to inflict serious bodily injury upon a helpless, innocent scribe simply trying earn an honest living and get a long with this day. But Cousins isn't Suge Knight, and her columnist is no Vanilla Ice. While lambasting Cousins for not understanding the contextual nuances of editorial writing, she winds up producing the type of fear-mongering false narrative and propaganda that results in real hatred and violence.

Consider this paragraph:

"Furillo held his ground. That’s no small thing given Cousins’ strength and size. It likely helped that Furillo is an experienced journalist who was shot at as he covered riots in Los Angeles and threatened by family members of criminal defendants while he covered Sacramento’s Superior Court. He’s seen worse."

Impressive as it sounds, none of that experience would've helped him get off the floor any quicker had Cousins clocked him. But he knew he wouldn't. This is sensationalism at its worst.

For many, especially when used in reference to people who look like Cousins, the phrase "stand your ground," evokes imagery of the dead bodies of people such as Trayvon Martin and former NFL running back Joe McKnight. Terhaar, a prominent journalist in a diverse state, has to be aware of this. It's irresponsible and ridiculous to allude to the Los Angeles riots and hostile showdowns in the criminal justice system to what happened between Furillo and Cousins.

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It also reeks of entitlement, referring to public financial support of the Kings' new arena, as if that obligates Cousins to avail himself to anyone with the city's populace, let alone the media; and players association's media access rules, something he doesn't have to adhere to as long as he's paying comfortable with paying the fines that may come as a result of not doing so. She event went as far as to say all reporters should leave when Cousins says he's not answering anyone's questions until the members of the press he doesn't like depart, a stunt he's pulled on several occasions. That's just laughable.

However inappropriate, what Cousins did shouldn't come as a surprise to any veteran of this business. Corey Pavin and Jim Gray once got into a shouting match when the former accused the latter of misquoting him about Tiger Woods' chances of making the Ryder Cup team. Deion Sanders once doused Tim McCarver with a bucket of ice water during the Braves' NLCS title celebration after the broadcaster suggested "Prime Time" was disrespecting baseball by playing in an NFL game the same day Atlanta faced Pittsburgh earlier in the series.

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That's the life we all chose when we decided to pursue this profession. If you're going to critique folks, you had better be ready for them to come at you.

Like any other media outlet, the Bee needs clicks, and Cousins' antics, regardless of how they feel about them, move the needle. As an entity covering a perennial loser in one of the NBA's small-market teams, the Bee has been helped by Cousins' presence more than harmed. An occasional shouting match may be the unfortunate, over-the-top cost.