Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet had high praise for friend and former teammate DeMar DeRozan for the impact he had not only on his career but the conversation around mental health in league circles.
Speaking with reporters gathered in anticipation of the Raptors' game against the San Antonio Spurs Saturday night, the guard was frank in his admiration of DeRozan's courage in being vulnerable about his mental health struggles:
“He changed a billion-dollar business. He changed it pretty much single-handedly (by) speaking out,” VanVleet told reporters, according to TSN's Josh Lewenberg.
DeRozan was the first NBA player to publicly address his struggles with mental health back in 2018. The four-time All-Star tweeted about his history of battling depression, a courageous act VanVleet feels opened players' eyes around the league.
“So for him to do that was huge and we won't know the impact, we'll never know the impact, but we just know that it's a great impact that he had on the league and on the guys, on players, coaching staff, whoever – that this is DeMar DeRozan and he goes through shit like everybody else,” VanVleet added.
In the aftermath of DeRozan's tweets, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love penned an article in the Player's Tribune, in which he admitted to battling anxiety, and credited DeRozan for being the first to speak out about such issues.
Originally drafted by the Raptors with a lottery pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, DeRozan spent the next nine seasons with Toronto as the wingmate of both VanVleet and Kyle Lowry. Eventually traded in a blockbuster move that brought Kawhi Leonard from the San Antonio Spurs, the departure of DeRozan was unpopular with several Raptor players owing to the tight bond that DeRozan had formed with many of them. While Toronto would eventually win an NBA championship as a result of the transaction, it was seen as a bittersweet moment to have accomplished the feat without the guard.
Listening to VanVleet speak about DeRozan, it's clear his presence is still missed on the roster.
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