DeMar DeRozan only spent two seasons playing with a young Pascal Siakam, but he's already been plenty aware of the steps the Cameroonian has taken to rise to stardom. The former Toronto Raptors shooting guard took note of Siakam's work ethic from the start, something he's managed to keep true to during his last two seasons upon emerging as an overnight sensation.
“He was always the first one in the gym,” the San Antonio Spurs guard said of Siakam, according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps. “He always came back to the gym at night. He worked on everything he does now.”
Siakam has polished his game plenty since DeRozan was traded for Kawhi Leonard in 2018, but his love for elbow grease is what has made him into the stout scoring presence he is today.
“I love the fact that I can not be able to do something and I can put in a lot of hours doing it and I can become good at it,” the Raptors star said. “It feels good. It feels so great, and I enjoy that. So I want that feeling.
“I love the feeling that I get on the court and I take two dribbles and I turn around and make the shot and the defender is like, ‘F*ck no,' and I'm making it. It feels so good because he can't make that shot, but he doesn't know how many hours you put in trying to make that shot.”
Siakam relishes the results, but he is also fond of the process that it takes to get there. Many players have taken on this Kobe Bryant-esque love for their craft and is refreshing for veterans like DeRozan to see them flourish and reap the fruits of their hard work.
The 6-foot-9 high-tailing wing is averaging a career-best 23.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game in his fourth year in the league. Not too shabby for a late first-round pick.
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