DeMar DeRozan was a legend with the Toronto Raptors. A four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA team player in Toronto, DeRozan had an incredible run before being traded to the San Antonio Spurs for Kawhi Leonard.
It was an emotional experience for DeRozan, as he failed to make the grade in Toronto during his time there and wanted to be the player to do so. Leonard led the Raptors to their first championship in 2019, winning Finals MVP before leaving in free agency to join the LA Clippers.
During an appearance on the Club 520 podcast, DeRozan got brutally honest about his feelings after the exchange, saying he didn’t speak to anyone for two weeks.
“It was tough, because everybody knows I wanted to be there,” DeRozan said. “I wanted to stay there. It was my home. Being traded, the way it happened, it hurt more than anything.”
DeRozan said once he settled in, he was able to appreciate the opportunity to play for Gregg Popovich and the Spurs organization, but it took him a while to get to that point.
For all the good times
For all you have done for this city, for CanadaTHANKS, @DeMar_DeRozan pic.twitter.com/uxFLPQv1Sw
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) February 23, 2019
“The crazy thing is, when I got traded, I didn’t talk to anybody for two weeks,” DeRozan admitted. “I didn’t answer my phone. I was mad. I’m not going to lie, I was emotional. I was hurt.”
DeRozan said he had a conversation with Popovich that helped change his perspective, and he ended up having three solid seasons with the Spurs.
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