DeMar DeRozan has always let his game do the talking. Born in Los Angeles and raised in Compton, he carved his way through USC before going ninth in the 2009 NBA Draft to the Toronto Raptors. From day one, he made mid-range cool again. He spent nearly a decade in Toronto, then evolved his game further with San Antonio. By the time he hit Chicago, his veteran poise and clutch scoring made him “the guy” when it mattered most.
Even in Chicago, DeRozan kept adding to his resume. He dropped over 24 points per game, led the NBA in minutes, and earned a reputation as the “clutch king.” His move to Sacramento in 2024 came with a $74 million contract and a new chapter. Yet, beyond the stats and the accolades, there’s something deeper.
DeRozan recently passed 25,000 career points, but that milestone isn’t just numbers, it’s proof that he belongs among legends. Even though his time with the Kings hasn’t been quite up to the mark and while his future with the team seems uncertain, he has found support in a surprising place.
That backing came from his former teammate from back in his time with the Raptors. How do you measure real respect in the league? Maybe it comes when a vet like Lou Williams opens up. On a recent episode of Run It Back, Williams was asked who his favorite teammate to sit beside on team flights was. His answer? “Um, DeMar DeRozan. Why is that? Because he just chilled.”
Williams went on to say, “He never played cards, never gambled, and he took up a seat, but who’s going to take a seat from DeMar DeRozan?”
He further added, “So he was one of my favorite people because he just added to the conversation, and he didn’t play cards.” That kind of praise, especially from someone who sat next to Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson, hits different.
Feb 5, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) looks on during the third quarter against the Orlando Magic at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
Here’s where it gets more interesting. Lou Williams joined the Raptors in 2014 via trade from the Hawks. By then, he was already an elite sixth man. In his first season with Toronto, he averaged 15.5 points and won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. But more than that, he meshed seamlessly with DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, bringing fire off the bench. So, when someone who shared court time with Kobe and Iverson chooses DeRozan as his guy? It stands as a testament to his impact on the teammates.
DeMar DeRozan’ journey through basketball’s lost art
What makes DeMar DeRozan so dangerous from mid-range? It starts with how he learned. On Carmelo Anthony’s 7 PM in Brooklyn podcast, DeRozan shared where his obsession began. “It started out with me just being a student first,” he said. At just 16 or 17, he trained with Kobe Bryant. “I had that cheat code to really just sit there and lock in… really break down details.”
For DeRozan, those lessons built more than skill. They gave him purpose.
It was never just about Kobe, though. His mid-range toolbox grew from conversations and film study. “I remember talking to Sam Cassell when I was 15,” he said. “He used to show me the bump, shot fake [into] over right-shoulder fadeaway.” Even guys like Cuttino Mobley and Andre Miller helped shape his vision. He studied Mobley’s rhythm dribbles and Miller’s footwork despite his lack of athleticism. DeRozan was absorbing every possible angle.
Why so many names? Because DeRozan never limited himself to flash or fame. He said, “I paid attention to guys like that… now I got a little bit more of a cheat code.” DeRozan made it clear that size and athleticism only enhanced what he already picked up from undersized greats. He learned how to operate in tight space. Every fake, pivot, and bump meant something.
His first year in the league brought even more wisdom. “My first year in the league, I had Alex English as an assistant coach,” he said. He’d constantly ask, “Yo, how do you do this?” English’s one-dribble pull-up became another tool. That eagerness to learn shaped DeRozan’s identity. As he put it, “It just made me pay attention to even more detail in a way.”
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