Inspired by Chris Paul and LeBron James, DeMar DeRozan sets no limits

Opportunities abound to remind DeMar DeRozan that he is a ” OG “, or an” old of the old “, in the middle of the NBA. Like recently, during a shoot for an NBA commercial, when he quickly exchanged with Celtics star Jayson Tatum.

“I told him I got drafted in 2009. He was like, ‘Man, I was 11 at the time,'” he said. “It’s little talks like that that remind me that I’ve been here a long time. But I’m clearly proud of it, I don’t take it as an offense “.

Seniors of choice to show him the way

Another time, it is with Draymond Green that the opportunity is given to him to remember the legends of the previous generation that he had the opportunity to face, such as Dirk Nowitzki, Shaquille O’Neal, or Kevin Garnett …

At 33, DeMar DeRozan is inevitably closer to the end than the beginning of his career. On the other hand, he arrives at the moment when he must redouble his vigilance to try to prolong the pleasure at the highest level for as long as possible. To try to last, the Bulls player is inspired by the work ethic at the origin of the longevity of players like Chris Paul and LeBron James.

“When you look at CP, he still managed to take a young team to the playoffs a few years ago (OKC). The older you get, the better. LeBron is entering his 20th year, and it looks like he can easily play another five years. You could say that guys who take care of themselves play longer. They are such a source of motivation for me who loves basketball. I can do it as long as I take care of myself and have love and passion for this sport. It is definitely possible”.

More than a question of age

All the elements lean indeed towards longer careers. We can also mention Vince Carter who recently sealed a longevity record at 22 seasons in the NBA by retiring at 43 years old. As such, DeMar DeRozan, who also cited Michael Jordan, returned to shine in the NBA approaching his 40th birthday, hopes to be able to play four or five more years at full speed, continuing of course to take example from CP3 and LBJ .

“They keep growing and are like a beacon to a lot of guys. Don’t be fooled by this story of the age at which you reach a ceiling and after which you can no longer progress. I watch them a lot to motivate myself. You see how they take care of themselves physically. They keep getting better”, he added on Andscape. “When you look at guys like CP at 37 and LeBron at 38, and I’m only 33. It’s been four or five more years where I can possibly play at a high level. We’ll see how I feel when I get there.”

For the moment, the hour of retirement is still a long way off since DeMar DeRozan simply remains on his best career season in scoring.

“I never gave myself a deadline. I never said: ‘I want to play 20 years’. I just want to go out there, have fun and have the same passion. If I ever see the passion wane or my abilities diminish to the point that I can’t play anymore, I’ll have no problem retiring.”