Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan, 34, is used to being a star on the basketball court, but he’s taking on a new role speaking out about mental health.
“I think we all need that one spark to bring out a little bit more, shed light and help others,” DeRozan said Wednesday after Bulls practice at the Advocate Center in Chicago.
Less than 24 hours earlier, the 34 year old had been back on the University of Southern California campus, premiering his new digital series in front of student athletes at his former university.
“I was nervous doing it, stepping out of my comfort zone, showing another side of me, especially having to watch something in a room full of people. It’s something new for me but I was honored to be able to do that,” DeRozan said.
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DeRozan’s Bulls teammate Nikola Vucevic supports DeRozan’s new series and what he’s trying to accomplish.
“It takes a lot of strength for people to do that,” Vucevic said. “It’s really awesome and for him to do it at USC, show it in front of student athletes there, especially nowadays I think it’s even more difficult for young athletes who go through it, with all the social media and all the extra pressure that comes with that.”
Available on YouTube, the series, called “Dinners With DeMar,” includes conversations with athletes aimed at breaking the stigma surrounding mental health.
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“I really admire and respect DeMar for the personal work that he’s put in, but also the vulnerability he’s willing to share,” said Billy Donovan, Chicago Bulls Head Coach.
In the first episode, filmed in July 2022, DeRozan sits down with Golden State Warriors star Draymond Greene, whom DeRozan also calls a friend. In the 45-minute episode, Greene tells his friend, he’s “watching him reinvent DeMar, the person.”
Asked about the series at practice, DeRozan said his mental health journey has been a process.
“Being a father, being a friend, being a teammate -- it’s a constant journey for me that its easier for me to recognize what I need to work on being one with my emotions and not shying away from them,” DeRozan said.
It’s that vulnerability that Donovan said is a sign of DeRozan’s strength.
“People on the outside looking in would think he’s got it all together, everything’s easy and he’s just persevered and battled through everything and things just came his way, but I think for him to talk about his own personal struggle of what he’s had to deal with I think gives people a lot of inspiration and hope,” Donovan said.
