Dreading DeMar...
The day has finally come. DeMar DeRozan is coming back home to Toronto for the first time since the Raptors traded him to the San Antonio Spurs.
It was one phone call that changed DeMar DeRozan’s perspective on the league and in life. DeRozan’s loyalty to the Raptors is like no other. When his time for free agency came two summers ago, DeRozan bypassed meeting with several teams including one with his hometown team, the Los Angeles Lakers. He proudly declared, “I am Toronto” as he resigned with the Toronto Raptors. It was clear he had one thing in mind. Staying in Toronto, hoping to finish his career there and see his jersey hanging from the rafters of Scotiabank Arena.
On July 18th, 2018 DeMar DeRozan was back home in Los Angeles, California where he went to go and see a screening of The Equalizer 2, featuring Denzel Washington. As he left the movie theatre he got several missed calls and was wondering why. He bypassed it and was hungry, so he went to get something to eat at a Jack in the Box. Then in the parking lot, he got the call telling him he had just been traded to San Antonio.
"It just caught me off guard," he says. "I sat in the Jack in the Box parking lot for, like, two hours just trying to process it all, like just trying to process the whole thing, and it just tripped me out honestly, just trying to figure it out, but that's how I found out. Midnight, sitting in the Jack in the Box parking lot for about two hours till I went home."
"You work to want to have that privilege, but to me, reality hit, saying you really don't have control over that privilege," DeRozan says. "Just because I say I'm going to go walk outside doesn't mean I can dictate if I'm going to be able to make it up the street or not. That's how it hit me. ... No matter what you do, you really don't have control of nothing. You gotta be ready and prepared for anything that comes.
The Raptors team president Masai Ujiri had this to say about DeRozan after the trade:
“DeMar is the greatest player that’s played for now for Toronto, at least for what he’s done here,” Ujiri said at the time. “I guarantee you he will be respected for that and he will be acknowledged for that in the biggest way that we can possibly do it as long as I’m here.”
He’s absolutely right. DeRozan departed the Raptors as the franchise leader in points (13,296), free throws made (3,539), games played (675), and minutes played (22,986). He respectfully remains the franchise leader in these categories through the playoffs as well.
Since joining the Spurs, all DeRozan has done is make himself a household name. Through 54 games, DeRozan is averaging 21.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 6.1 assists and shooting 46.3% from the field. In his first game against the Spurs, it was Kawhi Leonard who received the opposite of a warm welcome with a lot of “quitter” and “traitor” said. Regardless, it was personal for DeRozan and he played one of the best games of his career as he took down his former team 125-107. DeRozan nabbed his first and only triple-double with 21 points/14 assists/13 rebounds.
As we know, time heals all wounds and tonight is that night. One thing is for sure… DeRozan is going to receive a warm welcome back home in Toronto. Emotions will fill Scotiabank Arena and it’s going to be one beautiful moment.
