DeMar DeRozan has built a storied NBA career through relentless work ethic, midrange mastery, and clutch scoring. But before he became a six-time NBA All-Star and Olympic gold medalist, DeRozan had to survive one of the most dangerous environments imaginable, his teenage years in Compton, California.
On a recent appearance on the Run Your Race podcast, DeRozan opened up about the stark reality he faced during his high school basketball days, offering a chilling yet inspiring look into the life that shaped his toughness.
“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. It’s been times I played in gyms.”
“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, shit, I’m on the run off the next 15 just to piss you off even more.”
“It’s been times like it was 30 seconds left on the clock, we up seven. It’s been times the police had to escort me out the back and leave early before the game was on because it was so much of that going on. It’s crazy, bro.”
Rather than back down, DeRozan leaned into the pressure. “I’m on the run off the next 15 just to piss you off even more,” he said defiantly. He recalled having to be escorted out of gyms by police before the final buzzer sounded because of escalating threats and gang tensions. These weren’t just games, they were battlegrounds where survival and success became inseparable.
Growing up in Compton’s unforgiving streets instilled in DeRozan a level of mental toughness and resilience that has translated directly to his NBA career. After starring at Compton High School, he played one year at USC before being selected 9th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors.
In Toronto, DeRozan developed into a franchise cornerstone, leading the team to multiple playoff appearances and becoming the second-leading scorer in Raptors history before being traded to the San Antonio Spurs in the blockbuster deal for Kawhi Leonard.
Now with the Sacramento Kings, DeRozan has reinvented himself yet again. He made back-to-back All-Star appearances in 2022 and 2023, proving that his timeless game, rooted in footwork, finesse, and fearlessness, can thrive in any era.
He has averaged over 20 points per game in 11 different seasons, reaching a career-high 27.9 points per game in 2021-22. His clutch heroics and composure in tight moments have earned him comparisons to Kobe Bryant, one of his idols.
Beyond the court, DeRozan has been a powerful advocate for mental health awareness, publicly opening up about his struggles with depression and anxiety. He’s used his platform not just to entertain but to inspire, particularly for young kids growing up in similar environments to his own.
DeMar DeRozan’s journey, from dodging gang threats during high school games to becoming one of the most respected veterans in the league, is a testament to perseverance.
His story reminds fans that greatness often begins in adversity, and that some of the strongest athletes are forged not in gyms, but in the pressure cookers of real-life survival.
