Raptors legend DeMar DeRozan releasing a tell-all book
DeMar DeRozan might’ve played for three NBA teams in his career thus far, but it’s clear that the Toronto Raptors will always have a special place in his heart.
And today, DeRozan announced he’ll be writing a memoir to talk about his journey to the NBA as well as his time in Toronto and elsewhere, titled Above the Noise.
A 2009 first-round pick of the Raptors, DeRozan became an immensely popular fan-favourite during his time with the franchise.
In one of the most directly impactful trades in sports history, DeRozan was shipped (alongside Jakob Poeltl and a series of draft picks) to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green in the summer of 2018.
Toronto, of course, won the 2019 NBA title the next season, while DeRozan stuck with the Spurs for three seasons, though he made the playoffs just once. DeRozan has since spent the last three seasons with the Chicago Bulls and is slated to hit free agency again this summer.
Outside of basketball, DeRozan has been a strong mental health advocate, often sharing his own struggles with depression while in the NBA.
“It’s time to tell the full story. Born and raised in Compton, DeRozan was no stranger to hardship — he grew up in poverty and lost friends to gang violence. Practising in worn-out school gyms and community centres, fuelled by hunger and a desire to prove himself, he began to rise. But doubts followed,” the book’s description reads.
“In Above the Noise, DeRozan opens up about both his proudest triumphs and the times he felt so weighed down he couldn’t get out of bed. He reflects on what it took to make a name for himself in a new country after getting drafted by the Toronto Raptors. He recounts the pressure of playing with veteran athletes as a twenty-year-old rookie and the pain of losing role models. And he reveals what it felt like to be traded away from the team that he wanted to play with for the rest of his career.”
The book, published by HarperCollins, will be available September 10.
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