DeMar DeRozan addresses his experiences growing up when he would get death threats during high school basketball games.
DeMar DeRozan is one of the purest hoopers in the modern NBA. He’s a 6-time All-Star and a player that any basketball fan would be hard-pressed to hate.
His journey has been far from easy. DeRozan recently spoke about the legendary figure who helped him with his career, but that’s far from his only influence.
The Sacramento Kings man was raised in Compton and has often spoken about the rough neighborhoods he grew up in. But some of the problems were worse than people realize.
DeMar has often been regarded as one of the coldest players in the NBA. And his recent revelation about how he was raised provides great insight into who he is today.
“I always tell people, like me, in high school and every high school we used to go to, at my high school, we had to deal with whatever gang was at that high school.”
“So we getting off the bus, we could be getting banged on by another hood from that school.
“I talk about it with a bunch of my homies now, it’s been times I played at certain schools, and the whole row be gang members, and they get together and like, ‘You make the next shot, you ain’t making it out of here.’”
“I’m telling you. That was the thing to where it’s like, now it’s like, all right, s***, I’m on the run off the next 15 just to p*** you off even more.”
After everything that DeMar has been through, many NBA fans want to see him get an NBA title. It will be difficult if he stays with the Kings.
After Sacramento was eliminated, DeRozan admitted that his time is running out. The 35-year-old should be looking to get on a contender soon.
Voices in the media have suggested the Denver Nuggets as DeRozan’s next step. He averaged 22.2 points per game last season, he can still be an excellent second option.
For a man who’s been through everything he has, a championship ring would be the perfect reward for his journey.
