USC Basketball: DeMar DeRozan Drew Inspiration From Hall Of Fame Shooting Guard's Game
A former Trojan standout made headlines recently after stating that elements of his playstyle were adopted from a recent Hall of Fame inductee.
In an interview on Uninterrupted's Youtube channel, the current Bulls star mentioned Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade as a key cog in crafting the mid-range maestro he is today.
“That’s where a lot of my game started to come, using the pump fake from D-Wade, getting to the midrange, picking your spots, using your athletic ability, getting downhill,” DeRozan said. “Seeing D-Wade so much really made me feel like, `s-t, I’ve got to add a lot of this aspect to the game.”‘
Derozan's athleticism was a key component to his game while he made a name for himself at USC. The Trojan's lone season saw the forward average nearly 14 PPG and 6 rebounds.
This was enough to get him drafted to Toronto in the top 10 selection of the 2009 NBA Draft. There he became an All-Star and All-NBA caliber talent, forming a dynamic duo with backcourt partner Kyle Lowry.
Derozan's early career was described similarly to Wade's as his athletic ability and devastating dunks dazzled crowds, but as his career in the league progressed, he too like Wade added the midrange shot to his arsenal.
No matter the destination Derozan has carried Wade's game with him, whether it be to the Alamo of San Antonio, the Windy City of Chicago or across the border up north.
Getting downhill was an especially big part of Derozan's game in his resurgent All-NBA campaign with the Bulls in 2022, ranking among the highest in the league in free throw attempts per game.
Despite missing the postseason this year, Derozan is already back to work and getting buckets in the Drew League, ready for another challenge and another year to reflect his greatest inspiration.
