When DeMar DeRozan agreed to join the Sacramento Kings from the Chicago Bulls, there was a general feeling that this would be his last team as an NBA player.
DeMar DeRozan shared this during a conversation with Doug Smith of the Toronto Star about his future as a professional. In remarks that will please fans in Toronto, he expressed his desire to finish his career where it all began.
You definitely want to go out in a poetic way, especially where it all started. If I had the opportunity to do something like that, you can't turn something like that down, to put on that jersey for the last time, because it was the first jersey you put on.DeMar DeRozan to Doug Smith
The Kings' star guard was drafted with the ninth pick by the Toronto Raptors in 2009 and spent nine seasons with the Canadian-based franchise. During that time, he established himself as their all-time leading scorer before being traded to the San Antonio Spurs. This caused him to miss the chance to win his first championship with the team.
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His departure still haunts him, as he has claimed he could have won the title with the Raptors if he hadn't been traded. Now with the Kings, he has set high expectations for both himself and the team heading into the upcoming season.
DeMar DeRozan opens up about the Lakers lack of interest in him
The Lakers needed a rebuild after crashing out of the playoffs last season at the hands of the Denver Nuggets. This also led to former coach Darvin Ham getting the boot. As a result, they were linked to Los Angeles native, DeMar DeRozan and surprisingly, nothing came out of the rumors.
According to the Athletic, he was very much open to the move and even spoke about it. This was even though the Lakers' duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis green-lighted the move.
Obviously I have my selfish reasons of wanting to be able to play at home, sometimes it just doesn't work out that way. And sometimes it probably isn't the best decision for me either. So after that didn't happen, I didn't dwell on it. I wasn't mad. They made their choice, and I just left it at that.DeMar DeRozan on the Lakers interest
Hopefully, the Lakers won't come to regret their decision, as he eventually signed with a high-level team after leaving the Bulls. The Kings will face off against the Lakers in the second round of the new season on October 27, and it promises to be an exciting game.
You definitely want to go out in a poetic way, especially where it all started. If I had the opportunity to do something like that, you can't turn something like that down, to put on that jersey for the last time, because it was the first jersey you put on.DeMar DeRozan to Doug Smith Obviously I have my selfish reasons of wanting to be able to play at home, sometimes it just doesn't work out that way. And sometimes it probably isn't the best decision for me either. So after that didn't happen, I didn't dwell on it. I wasn't mad. They made their choice, and I just left it at that.DeMar DeRozan on the Lakers interest(1025 Articles Published)
Ubong Richard is an NBA writer at FirstSportz. He has been an NBA writer since November 2023. His love for basketball and especially LeBron James makes his work inspiring and fun for readers worldwide. Ubong believes in adding value to any system, as this is his greatest skillset. He is currently a fourth year medical student studying to become a dental surgeon at the University of Calabar, Nigeria. If he's not following NBA games, you can catch him watching football especially Chelsea games.