Revenge is a dish best served cold on the scoreboard, and we saw a prime example of that Thursday night in Sacramento when DeMarcus Cousins returned to his old stompin’ grounds to take on the Kings for the first time since being unceremoniously traded to the New Orleans Pelicans last February.
The big man had 41 points and 23 rebounds in the Pelicans’ 114-106 victory over the Kings. (Watch the highlights at the top of this post.)
With Cousins’ performance in mind, here are a few other awesome revenge games we’ve seen in years past.
Vince Carter vs. Toronto Raptors | April 15, 2005
While his first game against the Raptors (in New Jersey) was fine (22 points in a 100-82 loss), Carter’s return to Toronto as a member of the Nets was a completely different story as the man formerly known as Air Canada dropped 39 points on his ex-teammates in an 11-point win.
Patrick Roy vs. Montreal Canadiens | March 5, 1997
To say Roy’s tenure in Montreal didn’t end well would be a massive understatement. The franchise netminder demanded a trade out of town after he was hung out to dry against the Red Wings in Dec. 1995.
Roy won his first matchup against his old club as a member of the Avalanche on Feb. 5, 1996 with a solid 37-save performance in Colorado, but the real revenge came a year later when he helped crush the Canadiens 7-3 in Montreal. Fittingly, Roy’s replacement in Montreal, Jocelyn Thibault, was pulled after letting in six goals on 20 shots that game. The game was followed by a standing ovation for Roy—and a shower of boos for Habs coach Mario Tremblay.
Brett Favre vs. Green Bay Packers | Oct. 5, 2009
Long revered as a hero in Green Bay, it was strange to see Favre host the Packers as a member of division rival Minnesota Vikings two years after a messy departure. (Favre played a year with the Jets one season prior, but never faced the Packers.)
Favre went 24-for-31 for 271 yards with three touchdowns, posting a passer rating of 135.3. Favre and the Packers met again four weeks later—at Lambeau, no less—where Favre again defeated his old club thanks to a 26-for-41 performance for 244 yards and four touchdowns.
He left the field a hero once again… this time, for the other team.
Roger Clemens vs. Red Sox | July 12, 1997
After 13 years in Boston, Clemens first hit the Fenway mound as a visitor in July 1997 in a game that would go down in Toronto Blue Jays history.
Clemens struck out a whopping 16 hitters in eight innings that day, giving up just four hits. He left town with a dramatic 3-1 victory, but not before sending an icy cold stare up to Red Sox management. Payback’s a pitch:
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