Growing up as an NBA fan, DeMar DeRozan often felt a disconnect from his favorite players.
“I remember being a kid, looking back, I didn’t know how my favorite player sounded when he talked, what he’d do when I’m not watching him play, what his life is like,” DeRozan said. “I remember ... always wanting to know what Nick Van Exel did after games.”
DeRozan never found out how Van Exel spent his time after Los Angeles Lakers games, but he carried the memory of his childhood curiosity into his own NBA journey. In his 14th season in the NBA and second with the Chicago Bulls, DeRozan is using his YouTube channel to give a behind-the-scenes look at his daily life.
DeRozan began the project last summer, releasing two documentary episodes of his offseason routine and trips. This year’s series will stretch longer, encompassing his entire summer leading up to the season.
“I just wanted to get to that element of showing kids who watch us what it’s like to be a player outside of just putting an NBA jersey on,” DeRozan said.
DeRozan isn’t heavily active on social media, posting intermittently on Instagram and Twitter. So turning over his offseason life to a production crew required a new level of openness.
“I never really show what I’m like every day, so it’s cool,” DeRozan said.
The series mostly documents DeRozan’s time on the court and in the gym. The first two episodes from this summer showcased a training trip to Jamaica and games with the MMV Cheaters in the Drew League, a pro-am league he has competed in since he was 14.
While he aims to showcase his life, DeRozan also wants the series to provide a platform for his support network, such as longtime personal trainer Jason Estrada and skills trainer Johnny Stephene.
“I don’t think a lot of people understand what we go through as athletes,” DeRozan said. “It’s just not us going out there playing basketball. There’s a foundation we go through that helps us get to the point that we’re at. A lot of those people get lost in the midst of that and without them, I wouldn’t be the player or person that I am.”
