DeMar DeRozan had one of his best seasons in the NBA last season. Playing for the Chicago Bulls, DeRozan was the standout performer in the squad by a mile contributing on both ends of the floor. Although he had a career year with the Bulls, DeRozan’s career as a whole has been somewhat of a rollercoaster.
A superstar for the Toronto Raptors, DeRozan was the face of the franchise for many years and it seemed like the forward was going to be a raptor for life. Given how he had Kyle Lowry had revived the franchise, it was a shocker when the Raptors traded DeRozan and acquired Kawhi Leonard.
DeMar DeRozan Speaks Of His Time At San Antonio Spurs
Going from a franchise that was one of the top teams in the East to a fringe playoff team can be hard, and that is exactly what happened with DeMar. Given that he was with the Raptors for his entire career, a trade to San Antonio definitely did not fulfill the forward.
In a recent appearance at JJ Reddick’s podcast, DeRozan opened up about his time with the San Antonio Spurs. (29:02 onwards)
“I felt like I was wiped off the map… Every single year going to the Conference Finals, winning 50 plus games and all of a sudden, I don’t exist and it was like, ‘Damn, what’s this? Hey, I’m here.’”
That’s what I felt. Granted, I had great games. I developed in a lot of great ways as a basketball player, but in the same token, I just felt non-existent for those years.”
While DeRozan might have felt empty with the Spurs, he did become a much better player under Gregg Popovich. Not only did he become an efficient scorer, but he also improved his passing skills. His improved style of play was influential in the career years he has had with the Bulls and if he continues to perform in the same caliber, a third All-NBA appearance beckons.
