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DeMar DeRozan shares what he would like to be remembered for when he hangs his sneakers up

"That I have changed the shape of the stigma of mental health."

Stephen Beslic

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Professional athletes, including NBA players, are often considered invincible and untouchable. However, Chicago Bulls ace DeMar DeRozan continues to shatter the stigma surrounding mental health in professional sports by unabashedly discussing his struggles with depression and anxiety.

He opened the door during All-Star Weekend 2018 when he posted on X, formerly Twitter, “This depression get the best of me…”

Since then, Deebo has continued to shed light on mental health, using his platform to encourage others to seek help and speak out about their struggles.

Dinners with DeMar

He recently launched a digital series entitled “Dinners with DeMar,” in which the All-Star sits down with athletes and celebrities to talk about anything under the sun. Available on DeRozan’s YouTube channel, the first season—composed of three episodes—has already had Draymond Green and Dwyane Wade as guests. The season’s last episode, which will be shown on March 19, will guest eight-time All-Star Damian Lillard.

Deebo believes this series is another opportunity to discuss mental health and break its stigma. He hopes that as his career winds down, this will be his legacy.

“That I have changed the shape of the stigma of mental health,” Deebo said in a talk with Men’s Health.

“That we all can be better people, and it's okay to go through whatever it is you're going through. Find a way to be an inspiration for yourself and for others because life is going to test you, and how you get through that test shows the type of person you are, and how resilient you are. That's one thing I want to be remembered as.”

The work is never done

As more professional athletes open up about their internal struggles, DeMar shared that the work is never truly done. He believes that it is a continuous journey of self-discovery and growth.

"It's something that's continuously going to be there. It's just how you work through it and address these feelings because a lot of things will never go away," Deebo said.

Being a professional athlete has a lot of perks. At the same time, there are also pitfalls that athletes often have to deal with. The pressure to perform, the scrutiny of the media, and the constant expectations from fans can take a toll on one's mental health. DeMar shared spending time with his kids or even just taking a break from it all often helps him recharge and refocus.

“For me, whenever I'm with my kids, that's always a beneficial way to handle it. Just getting lost in pure peacefulness when you're around kids. Kids don't care about nothing else. But if I ain't with my kids, a lot of times I just rest. I try to find ways to rest my body, my mind,” DeRozan revealed.

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Stephen Beslic
STEPHEN BESLIC

Stephen Beslic is a writer on Sports Illustrated's FanNation Network. Stephen played basketball from the age of 10 and graduated from Faculty of Economic and Business in Zagreb, Croatia, majoring in Marketing.

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