DeMar DeRozan mourns loss of father, Frank, with heartfelt social message

(Kim Klement-Pool/Getty Images - image credit)

Former Toronto Raptors star DeMar DeRozan is mourning the loss of his father, Frank, as he announced on Instagram in a heartfelt message Friday morning.

The 31-year-old's relationship with his father was well known within NBA circles. According to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star, DeRozan used to take chartered flights to Los Angeles on off days between games to be able to visit him while he was ill, returning on red-eye flights for games. This happened at several points in time over the course of his nine-year tenure with the Raptors before being traded to the Spurs in 2018 as part of a multi-player deal that included Kawhi Leonard.

Even after joining the Spurs, DeRozan continued to take time off to be spend with his dad—who had been suffering from a variety of illnesses, including a kidney condition, according to the San Antonio Express-News.

It's unknown whether DeRozan, who is under quarantine in Charlotte due to COVID-19 protocols, will be able to return to Los Angeles to mourn with his family.

The Spurs had four positive cases following their win against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday and have had three games postponed as a result.