On Wednesday, the Sacramento Kings defeated the Toronto Raptors 123-115. In the process, DeMar DeRozan continued to climb the all-time scoring list, passing Dominque Wilkins for 17th. Altogether, DeRozan scored 28 points.
Afterward, Raptors forward RJ Barrett heaped praise on DeRozan, citing him as an inspiration growing up. Then, DeRozan was asked to respond to Barrett's compliment, per Vivek Jacob of Yahoo Canada.
“It's definitely cool to see guys who grew up watching me play when I was here and you see the importance and inspiration you give to people that's watching you” DeRozan said.
RJ Barrett has talked about watching DeMar DeRozan growing up so asked DeMar about what it's like to see RJ now:
"It's definitely cool to see guys who grew up watching me play when I was here and you see the importance and inspiration you give to people that's watching you." pic.twitter.com/oBoleaOLO9
— Vivek Jacob (@vivekmjacob) April 2, 2026
This isn't the first time. When Barrett was with the New York Knicks, he stopped a DeRozan game-winner when DeRozan was with the Chicago Bulls. It was a real full-circle moment for Barrett.
So far, DeRozan is averaging 18.6 points and 4.1 assists per game. Meanwhile, Barrett is averaging 19.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Also, Barrett finished the game with 20 points and five rebounds.
With the win, the Kings are now 20-57, whereas the Raptors are 42-34. Currently, the Raptors are ranked 7th in the Eastern Conference standings with the playoffs right around the corner.
DeRozan is on the verge of completing his second full season with the Kings. Last year, he played in 77 games and averaged 22.2 points and 4.4 assists. In 2013, DeRozan played his rookie season with the Raptors. He would go on to play in Toronto until the 2017-2018 season.
After that, DeRozan played three seasons with the San Antonio Spurs from 2018 to 2021. Then, he played three seasons with the Bulls from 2021 to 2024.
