DeRozan heads home an all-star

DeMar DeRozan heads to Los Angeles this weekend appreciative of how far he’s come in life and basketball.

The Raptors guard was 14 the first time the NBA’s all-star game rolled through the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Living in Compton, Calif., DeRozan had no access to the game, but recalls feeling part of the festivities.

“I just remember being in Compton, honestly, and being able to see the lights from downtown thinking I had something to do with all-star weekend because it was in your city,” said DeRozan. “You see the advertising, you see all the stars going there — it was one of them things as a kid that you see and you wish to be just anybody important to be able to go to things like that, see all the stars.”

This weekend DeRozan is headed to his fourth all-star game along with teammate Kyle Lowry — the pair will be a part of Team Stephen. The Raptors coaching staff led by Dwane Casey will coach Team LeBron.

DeRozan, 28, heads to the break averaging 23.7 points per game (13th in the NBA), a career-high 5.2 assists per game and shooting 32.7 per cent from three-point range through 57 games.

The Raptors (41-16) own the best home record (24-4) in the NBA and head into the all-star break on a seven-game winning streak while sitting atop the Eastern Conference standings.

Casey, the first coach in Raptors history to coach in an NBA all-star game, is headed to the event for the third time in his career. He was a member of former Seattle SuperSonics head coach George Karl’s staff at the games in 1996 and 1998.

Lowry, who will also participate in Saturday’s three-point contest, is heading to his fourth straight all-star game.