DeMar DeRozan has grown tired of putting up an act. The Compton native is often expected to carry himself a certain way due to his humble origins, but having revealed his inner battle with depression and anxiety last season, there's no longer a need to conceal anything about his persona.

“If you grow up in the inner city, you have to walk a certain way, and you have to talk a certain way,” DeRozan said, according to Jackie MacMullan of ESPN. “If a guy walks past you, you gotta make sure you don't show any type of weakness, so they won't mess with you.”

“That's something that carries over to everything you do as you grow older. It's constant. And it's draining. For me, it just got to a point where I decided, ‘There's nothing I need to hide behind no more. I'm not going to worry about someone calling me weak or soft. At the end of the day, I know what I'm made of.'”

DeRozan has shown to be a loyal person first and foremost, as shown with his strong ties with Toronto Raptors backcourt partner Kyle Lowry during their time together.

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The 29-year-old now has the chance for new beginnings with the San Antonio Spurs, now expected to play with a chip on his shoulder after being blindsided by the trade for Kawhi Leonard earlier this summer.

Players like Rudy Gay will welcome him after having known him for a few years during their stint together in Canada, as the rest of the Spurs are expected to reel him in with the same love, hoping to get past the nightmarish season that 2017-18 was.