Holly MacKenzie - Raptors.com
Would you set your alarm clock a little bit later the morning after agreeing to a new five-year NBA deal? Perhaps turn the alarm off altogether? If you’re DeMar DeRozan, the alarm clock stays on. It also remains set for the same time as usual, a morning workout alongside younger Raptors teammates on the agenda.
“Yeah,” DeRozan said. “It was just another day. I just wanted to go workout.”
And the night after agreeing to the contract, shortly after the free agency negotiation period began? Surely there was a little bit of celebration there, right?
“Went to sleep,” DeRozan said with a laugh. “I just I treated it like it was a regular day for me. I knew what my gut was telling me, where my feelings were at, the approach I wanted to make. With that, it felt regular to me. I didn't want to put too much pressure, too much hype on myself for something that felt like was right for me.”
One thing DeRozan did do after hammering out the details of the new deal was call backcourt mate Kyle Lowry who was in Scotland on a golfing trip with friends. Although he was glad to hear DeRozan was officially returning, he didn’t expect anything different to take place and jokingly asked DeRozan why he was calling him. Like DeRozan two seasons ago, Lowry was there to listen and offer support leading up to his free agency, his top priority being his friend’s happiness.
“I just felt like it was the right [choice for him],” Lowry said. “He was going to make his decision based on him and his family and like I said all year, all the time, I’m always going to support my friend. He’s my friend first and foremost. He’s a guy I respect and I truly love. Whatever decision he made, I’d be happy for him, but I’m happy he made that right decision.
“He knew what he wanted. I think our organization did a good job of making sure they gave him what he needed and rewarding him for all the work he’s put in.”
DeRozan isn’t one to spend a lot of time reflecting, choosing to focus on what needs to be done instead. Still, it was impossible to avoid looking back on all that has happened over his seven years in Toronto on the morning he headed over to the arena to sign his new contract and meet with the media.
“It’s just [about] how much I’ve grown here, how much I’ve seen the city grow, how much recognition I've seen the city gain,” DeRozan said. “The whole nines. It’s amazing for me to be a part of that and I feel like I had something to do with it and feel like I'm a staple in the country now.”
DeRozan is coming off his best individual season as well as the franchise’s most successful in history. He could have elected to take things slow this offseason. He could have rested his body and mind for a bit before easing into workouts to prepare for training camp. Of course this isn’t the route he chose. When USA Basketball offered an opportunity to represent his country and get to do it along with Lowry, as well as getting to learn from some of the brightest minds in basketball, DeRozan jumped at the chance.
In addition to getting to suit up for USA, DeRozan also embraced getting to train beside some of the league’s best players. When speaking about remaining in Toronto, DeRozan continued to stress that he’s looking forward to continuing to build on the success of the previous season.
“It’s [about] finding that extra motivation year in and year out,” DeRozan said. “Some way, somehow, you always find that motivation at the highest level it needs to be to preform and come back and be better. Thats what it’s all about.”
Playing for Team USA is another individual accomplishment in a season full of them for both DeRozan and Lowry. Like everything else, the duo have already discussed how their shared summer experience can help the Raptors heading into next season.
“Being here and representing my country with my teammate, now we get to carry this over,” DeRozan said. “Gaining the knowledge we learned here, and carrying that over to our team and try to be even better. It’s amazing.”