Former Raptors all-star DeMar DeRozan shares hard-earned wisdom in new memoir

DeMar DeRozan has always found a way to score on the basketball court, and now he's using that same drive to urge people to open up about their mental health.

DeRozan, who has been one of the NBA's leading mental health advocates for years, has written "Above the Noise," a memoir about his childhood in Compton, Calif., the biggest successes of his 15-year career as a professional basketball player, and his struggles with depression. Although the 35-year-old has long been open about his personal struggles in podcasts and interviews, he wanted to write about his experiences to try and find yet another avenue to reach people.

"I'm just trying to reach anybody who feels like they're alone, more so than anything," said DeRozan in a phone interview. "Anybody who feels like they're alone, that the struggles they're going through are too much.

"Showing that it is possible to make it through, and also encourage them to show vulnerability and find strength within that as well, and show that it's a continuous journey."

In "Above the Noise," DeRozan writes about growing up in poverty, losing friends to gang violence, and having to practise basketball in worn-out school gyms and community centres. Selected ninth overall by the Toronto Raptors in the 2009 NBA Draft, DeRozan also writes about the challenge of making a name for himself in Canada, the pressures of playing with veteran athletes as a 20-year-old rookie, and the pain of losing role models.

DeRozan also addresses how much it hurt to be traded from Toronto to the San Antonio Spurs in the summer of 2018, a deal that brought superstar Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors and led to their 2019 NBA championship run.

It was the heartache of that trade and the birth of his daughter that prompted DeRozan to go public with his depression struggles. He said there has been a change in how NBA players talk about their mental health since he first entered the league, a shift he's proud to have helped bring about.

"It's become more of a norm of hearing guys talk about the struggles and things they dealt with," said DeRozan. "If it was through a trade, if it was through high expectations that wasn't met, if it was through family situation that they were going through while playing, what happened when the money came, you're starting to see more and more (of) these stories."

The six-foot-six small forward has averaged 21.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists over 1,110 games with Toronto, San Antonio, and the Chicago Bulls. He is a six-time all-star and has been named to the All-NBA team three times.

Chicago traded DeRozan and Harrison Barnes to the Sacramento Kings on July 8 in a sign-and-trade deal that sent Chris Duarte, RaiQuan Gray and draft considerations to the Bulls.

DeRozan said he expects Sacramento to "go out there and compete."

"I pushed myself all this summer, to come into training camp this season, the best version of myself to be able to come, go out there, and be willing to help the team do whatever it takes for us to really compete at a high level," said DeRozan.

The Kings will visit the Raptors on Nov. 2, but DeRozan will be back in Toronto well before then. Sportsnet's Donnovan Bennett will interview him at the Indigo in Toronto's The Well mall on Friday night.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 8, 2024.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press