How DeMar DeRozan changed the conversation around mental health in basketball

DeMar DeRozan never expected he would spark a discussion about depression, but with a single tweet, he created a ripple effect that would change the conversation around mental health in pro sports. 

"I didn't know it would lead into all this, to this present day. But it was something that was obviously needed, not just for myself, but for the world in a sense," DeRozan told The Current host Matt Galloway. 

It was Feb. 17, 2018, in the very early hours of the morning. By all accounts, DeRozan should've been riding high. The Raptors were sitting atop the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 41-16. The shooting guard was about to represent the Raptors as an NBA All-Star in Los Angeles, not far from his hometown of Compton, Calif. 

But instead, DeRozan was struggling — and he couldn't sleep. He had decided not to go to a concert with his friends nor to an All-Star Game party where he was expected to make an appearance. He was overwhelmed by people hitting him up, asking him for tickets to the game or to drop in on the party. And he just needed rest. 

"It just kind of made me hit a wall. You know, it led me to, in the middle of the night, to tweet out a tweet," said DeRozan, who just released his book, Above the Noise.

He posted, "This depression get the best of me…" 

Then he put his phone down and went to bed. When he woke up, he had a landslide of missed calls, texts, and messages, all people checking in on him.

DeRozan was selected with the ninth pick in the 2009 NBA draft by the Toronto Raptors. 

He had gotten out of Compton, a city in California known for its high rate of violent crimes. DeRozan described growing up there as, "a constant obstacle on a daily basis, that felt normalized."

But basketball showed him there could be more to life than what surrounded him, and it gave him a path out. Growing up, he would sit with his dad, the late Frank DeRozan, and watch video tapes of basketball legends such as Michael Jordan. 

"I used to just watch basketball so much because, one, it gave me a moment with my dad, and two, it unknowingly gave me a deeper appreciation and love for the game," DeRozan said. 

And that love of basketball took him to Toronto. 

"I just remember feeling, you know, like it was so surreal, especially at that time. This was the place I definitely wanted to be," said DeRozan, who currently plays for the Sacramento Kings. 

Shortly after he arrived in Toronto, he was given immense responsibility. In 2010, the long-time face of the franchise, Chris Bosh, left to play for the Miami Heat. Following the star's departure, DeRozan posted a tweet, letting the fan base know he was ready for the responsibility.