As the saying goes, “It takes a village to raise a child.” The same holds true for athletes striving to reach their full potential. For aspiring NBA players, that village often includes guardians, coaches, and teammates. It may also feature NBA veterans—some globally renowned, others respected quietly within league circles—each playing a crucial role in shaping the journey.
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“There’s nobody who walked through this and navigated through this alone… Nobody!” DeMar DeRozan said in a Run Your Race interview.
It wasn’t just an interview—it was a real, candid exchange between DeRozan and former Brooklyn Net Theo Pinson. DeRozan spoke about the players who influenced not just his game and playing style, but also his mindset and approach to the craft.
These included Corey Maggette, the 13th pick in the 1999 Draft, who played 14 seasons in the league, and Matt Barnes, a player famed for his aggressive style of play, particularly against the late great Kobe Bryant.
“Guys like Corey Maggette. I used to work out with Matt Barnes when I first came into the league. These older guys that been around and these guys wanted me to be successful. I always used to watch their approach to the game,” DeRozan revealed.
Sometimes, the difference between newer stars and veterans lies in how they approach the game—both on and off the court. It can also determine whether a player enjoys five years in the league and receives coaching and front-office opportunities, versus playing ten years and not being afforded those opportunities.
Pinson and DeRozan passionately discussed this as they talked about the significance of a player’s reputation in the league and how it can impact their career after retirement.
“To be respected by your peers, and that can be in different ways. I’m probably especially in the league, I’m not known for my play, but just knowing the game, and like my camaraderie with different teams. I’m really just known as a good dude, and at the end of the day, that’s what it’s really about. [One day, when] the ball stops bouncing and when you’re not putting the ball in the hoop, people still going to call DeMar DeRozan because you’re a good dude,” lamented Pinson.
Another name that came up as DeRozan’s mentor was Sam Cassell’s.
Currently an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics, Cassell entered the league as the 24th overall pick by the Houston Rockets in 1993. A highly respected role player, he built and sustained a 15-year career while mentoring some of the league’s brightest stars.
The only world-renowned “NBA legend” mentioned by the former Chicago Bull was Gary Payton, from whom he also claimed to have gleaned valuable wisdom.
“Guys like Sam Cassell and Gary Payton had a lot of these guys that I looked up to at a very young age, and I used to just mirror everything that they did. The way they approached the game [and the] way they spoke about the game,” the ex-Bulls guard reflected.
DeMar, a proud California native, has carried these lessons forward in recent years, mentoring former Chicago Bulls teammates like Patrick Williams and Coby White.
As the episode came to a close, DeRozan’s comments offered fans a fresh perspective on his game. His respect for Payton and Cassell came across as genuine, underscoring how much he still values guidance from those who “wanted me to be successful.”
