“ Brutal. » This was the qualifier used at the time, during the 2018 offseason, when DeMar DeRozan had learned of his transfer, against Kawhi Leonard, from Toronto to San Antonio.
Six years after this resounding exchange, which led to the Raptors' title a few months later, the Bulls guard/winger reports new details on the facts in The Pivot Podcast.
“ I'm more than comfortable talking about it today, but for a long time it fucked me up. It was the place I wanted to be, where I thought I would be, where I gave my all. My motivation and drive was simply to put Toronto on a map. I wanted to follow the motto of Kobe, my favorite player: I want to play on one team. I had everything planned “, he blurted.
Drafted in 9th position by the Canadian franchise in 2009, the fullback/winger had a little less than a great decade in Canada, punctuated by three All-Star selections and five playoff campaigns. But without ever managing to pass the milestone that would have allowed his team to reach an NBA final.
Aware that an electric shock was necessary, the Toronto decision-makers had made the Kawhi Leonard bet by sacrificing their faithful scorer. Except that the latter, independently of the exchange, was in the middle of a family ordeal: during the summer of 2018, his father, Frank (who died in 2021), began to be seriously ill.
At the cinema watching Denzel Washington
“ It was the first time in my professional career that I felt lost, that I questioned everything. It was a moment where I didn't want to believe it. I will never forget the moment I understood. I will never forget that day », says the 34-year-old veteran, known for being one of the first to talk about mental disorders among players.
Precisely on that day, as he tells it, the person was watching the premiere of the film The Equalizer 2 with Denzel Washington. “ I kept getting a call from my GM, and I couldn't answer the phone. So I was like, 'Fuck, let's check Twitter.' »
“I sat down and started crying”
Except nothing is online yet. He then had to leave the dark room to finally speak with his leaders, including Masai Ujiri: “ They told me I had been traded. I was in a car and I was going to get something to eat. »
At the moment, DeMar DeRozan prefers not to say anything to those around him. “ I just told the guy to stop the car. I got out of the car and walked. I walked down the street, sat down in front of a fast food restaurant and started crying. I could not believe it », says DeMar DeRozan who, after three years at Spurs, will sign his best career season with the Bulls.
| DeMar DeRozan | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2009-10 | TOR | 77 | 22 | 49.8 | 25.0 | 76.3 | 0.9 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 8.6 |
| 2010-11 | TOR | 82 | 35 | 46.7 | 9.6 | 81.3 | 0.9 | 2.9 | 3.8 | 1.8 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 17.2 |
| 2011-12 | TOR | 63 | 35 | 42.2 | 26.1 | 81.0 | 0.6 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 16.7 |
| 2012-13 | TOR | 82 | 37 | 44.5 | 28.3 | 83.1 | 0.6 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 18.1 |
| 2013-14 | TOR | 79 | 38 | 42.9 | 30.5 | 82.4 | 0.7 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 22.7 |
| 2014-15 | TOR | 60 | 35 | 41.3 | 28.4 | 83.2 | 0.7 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 20.1 |
| 2015-16 | TOR | 78 | 36 | 44.6 | 33.8 | 85.0 | 0.8 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 23.5 |
| 2016-17 | TOR | 74 | 35 | 46.7 | 26.6 | 84.2 | 1.0 | 4.3 | 5.2 | 3.9 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 2.4 | 0.2 | 27.3 |
| 2017-18 | TOR | 80 | 34 | 45.6 | 31.0 | 82.5 | 0.7 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 5.2 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 23.0 |
| 2018-19 | SAN | 77 | 35 | 48.1 | 15.6 | 83.0 | 0.7 | 5.3 | 6.0 | 6.2 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 21.2 |
| 2019-20 | SAN | 68 | 34 | 53.1 | 25.7 | 84.5 | 0.7 | 4.9 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 22.1 |
| 2020-21 | SAN | 61 | 34 | 49.5 | 25.7 | 88.0 | 0.7 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 6.9 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 21.6 |
| 2021-22 | CHI | 76 | 36 | 50.4 | 35.2 | 87.7 | 0.7 | 4.4 | 5.2 | 4.9 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 27.9 |
| 2022-23 | CHI | 74 | 36 | 50.4 | 32.4 | 87.2 | 0.5 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 5.1 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 24.5 |
| 2023-24 | CHI | 79 | 38 | 48.0 | 33.3 | 85.3 | 0.5 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 5.3 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 24.0 |
| Total | 1110 | 35 | 46.9 | 29.6 | 84.1 | 0.7 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 21.3 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
