Dude is quite a bit richer now, so smiling is probably pretty easy at the moment, but money doesn't seem to be the only thing he is happy about.

Midway through Cousins' rookie season, the relocation saga heated up as the Maloofs set their sights on becoming the third NBA franchise in the Los Angeles market. Every Kings player began getting bombarded by the media with questions about the possibility of the team relocating.

Cousins' flare ups were expected before he was drafted (likely the reason why he slipped to the 5^th pick), so you can hardly blame all of his incidents on the uncertainty surrounding the future of the franchise, but it couldn't have helped. It definitely played a part in the team's record (74-156 over Cousins' first three season), and that indirectly had an impact on the morale, specifically of Cousins, who hates losing.

There was no better example of the dysfunction between the Maloofs and the Kings' front office than Cousins' "indefinite suspension" that was overturned shortly thereafter. That, coupled with the distractions of Anaheim, Virginia Beach and Seattle left things with no direction or goals – likely one of the main reasons Cousins was so gleeful on Monday about the future.

Ranadive knew what he was walking into when he bought this franchise – ESPN The Magazine reminded him recently with last year's data. He knows he has some work to do with the battered nature of both the Sacramento community and the players in the locker room that the previous regime left. That is probably why when he met with Cousins for one of the first times he provided him with a mission statement, his values and vision for the Kings.

Cousins says he has bought in to all of it and is already seeing a difference in the team.

From live broadcasts in India, to working amenities in Sleep Train Arena to a new focus on the court without distraction, it seems everyone is in for a change. If Cousins, who Ranadive calls the "prototypical 21^st Century player," is going to be the cornerstone of the Kings franchise, then you want him motivated, focused and willing to accept a leadership role.

He now has more than 60 million reasons to buy in to all of that.

You have to question whether someone with his track record can turn things around and suddenly learn to regulate his emotions. He's got Shaq in his corner now though and he did say something interesting on Grant Napear's radio show on Monday: Instead of blaming others for his past mistakes, Cousins acknowledged that it is something he needs to work on.

As is brought up quite frequently in Sacramento, none of Cousins' past issues have been off the floor and he remains an active participant within the community. At the end of Monday's press conference, he announced that he will be donating $1 million to Sacramento charities, as well as Mayor Kevin Johnson's organization.

With the relocation distraction out of the picture and the keys to the franchise now in his hands, it seems, so far at least, that the big man out of Kentucky is on the right track and believes in what his new front office is trying to accomplish.

Click here to watch Cousins' entire press conference.

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