While some of the best basketball players were in Paris trying to win a gold medal, some athletes were still in the U.S. making big plays on a local court. DeMar DeRozan was one of those players, as he recently competed in the Drew League. DeRozan not only competed, but he put on a show for the fans that were in attendance.
DeRozan finished the game with 54 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists, and led a 25-point comeback win for his team, the Mecca Cheaters. He finished with around 17 points in the fourth quarter and knocked down the game-winning free throws to get the win.
DeRozan seems to always participate in the Drew League every offseason, and he's always making big plays that end up on social media. He has close ties to the event since it takes place in Los Angeles, and he made his first debut in 2005. Since then, there have been several players to participate during the offseason, and LeBron James was one of the biggest in 2022.
It was a big moment for DeRozan and he explained it on Draymond Green's podcast in 2022.
“You telling me the LeBron James just came out here to play?” DeRozan said on the podcast. “And right across the street is the projects. Right down the street is the neighborhood I grew up in. So, to see this man come up there and play, it's bigger than basketball. It's being an inspiration and a motivation to that community to have light and to keep pushing forward. And that was a positive day that's going to be remembered forever.”
DeMar DeRozan is back in the Drew League
The Drew League seems to be something that keeps DeRozan in shape during the offseason, and it'll get him ready as he starts with his new team, the Sacramento Kings. DeRozan was traded to the Kings this offseason and signed a three-year, $74 million deal with the team.
With the addition of DeRozan, the Kings will be a tough team to beat in a stacked Western Conference. De'Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, and DeRozan will be the Big 3 in Sacramento, and they have the supporting pieces around them to compete with anybody on any night. One of the things DeRozan sets out to do with the Kings is hit the beam, a tradition that they do every time they win a game at home.
“I want to be one of those guys that hits the beam,” DeRozan said during his Kings press conference. “I will work my butt off more than ever to make sure the city gets what it deserves…I just want to win at the highest levels.”
If DeRozan plays like he plays in the Drew League for the Kings, he'll be hitting the beam a lot during the season.
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