DeRozan: Kobe, Duncan inspired me to build legacy with Raptors
There were several teams interested in DeMar DeRozan last summer.
The free agent didn't give any of them the time of day, though, because he wanted to stay with the Toronto Raptors.
He got his wish, signing a five-year deal worth $139 million with the club that drafted him in 2009. For the 27-year-old, "it means everything" to establish a legacy with the NBA's lone team north of the border.
"After I finish I could have the opportunity to go down as one of the greatest and (have) my jersey retired," DeRozan recently told Bleacher Report's Jonathan Abrams.
"Give this whole city, this whole country, a whole opportunity of looking back on a Raptors team, arguably the greatest Raptor team of all time. So many things. Something my kids could grow up and look back on that. It's just bigger than just now for me. That's how I was looking at it."
The All-Star shooting guard's decision to stay put was influenced by two recently retired greats who spent their entire career - and racked up numerous championships and individual accolades - with a single franchise.
"For me to watch Kobe (Bryant) do what he did 20 years with one organization, watch Tim Duncan, guys like that really inspire me to do something that's big. That you could look back 20 years from now and you really scratch your head, like, 'Wow, I did all that?' Things like that can never be taken away," he continued.
Last month, DeRozan became Toronto's all-time leading scorer. In his eight seasons, he's also become the franchise leader in made field goals and games and minutes played. He's currently having his best campaign yet - averaging a career-high 27.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and a 34.4 percent usage rate - and was recently named an All-Star starter for the second time in his career.
Deebo and his starting backcourt mate and pal, Kyle Lowry, have emerged as the leaders of a team that's made three straight playoff appearances and is a far cry from the group Chris Bosh's 2010 departure left in shambles. The pair led the Raptors to their best season ever in 2015-16, winning 56 regular-season contests and taking the eventual champion Cleveland Cavaliers to six games in the conference finals.
Toronto remains on Cleveland's tail in the standings this year, and DeRozan believes playing in Goliath's shadow motivates his squad.
"We always was the underdogs," he said. "We never cry about it. We never whine about it. Just give us the opportunity to be in front of them. We going to leave that stamp or whatever we need to leave. I think that's something that keeps us going and keeps motivating us to accept the challenge, because that's what we're fighting for: to get back in front of them, and we'll see what happens from there."
That's a fight DeRozan hopes to continue in a Raptors uniform.