Innocuous tweet stirs social media

Seven-word late-night posting from Raptor sparks maelstrom for hours

The power of social media and the confluence of fame, respect and support created a stir around Raptors all-star DeMar DeRozan in the wee hours of Saturday morning that was a startling look at the times.

What turned out to be an innocuous seven-word tweet from DeRozan sparked a maelstrom for a few hours, total strangers reaching out to comfort a “friend” they imagined was suffering, offering calming words and supportive thoughts even if they had no idea of what was going on with the 28-year-old.

It wasn’t a rush to condemnation nor was it a rush to judgment, it was a fascinating look at extrapolation and genuine concern for a young man.

At about 6 a.m. ET — which was 3 a.m. in Los Angeles where DeRozan is preparing for Sunday’s NBA allstar game — the Compton native said simply: “This depression get the best of me.”

If ever there was a Toronto-based study in the power of social media by one of the most popular athletes to play here, this was it.

Within half an hour, bleary-eyed friends were trying to figure out what it meant, texting and emailing each other to discuss the repercussions amid fears for the worst.

The concern for DeRozan was overwhelming, and the reaction on Twitter was something else:

“Just like you proved the critics wrong, prove depression that you can overcome it too. You got Compton, Toronto, the Raptors organization, and all of Canada behind you.”

“Sending prayers and lots of good energy. Even on the cloudiest day the blue sky is still there above the clouds. All of your fans are behind you.”

“You got us. A whole city has got you.”

“I can relate to this so much. You’re not alone. Stay strong.”

The love and support were unconditional but ultimately proved to be unnecessary.

DeRozan was citing a lyric in a song called Tomorrow by an artist named Kevin Gates. The innocuous use of a line from a song, as opposed to a definitive statement about a man’s mood, only became recognizable to some when another observer pointed it out.

It’s not that one group or the other — those who knew what the words were versus those thought the worst — was right or wrong, but rather the immediacy of the reaction was most telling.

There were more than 10,000 ‘like’ on the tweet and more than 1,000 replies before early Saturday evening, less than 12 hours after it was posted.

It spoke volumes about DeRozan’s connection with fans in Toronto and across Canada.

The use of that particular lyric, of course, was what caused the stir.

Depression, and the ravages of a variety of mental illnesses, is a hot button topic these days and a professional athlete, especially one as revered as DeRozan is in his second home, seemingly reaching out in the middle of the night would be alarming.

Coupled with the well-documented, serious health issues his father is dealing with, being back home in Los Angeles for his fourth all-star appearance and first as a starter in his hometown would ratchet up the pressure.

But in a 30-minute media session Saturday afternoon he was his usual engaging self, and the early-morning tweet was not mentioned.

DeRozan did, however, acknowledge the connection that high-profile athletes have with their fans and the importance their message can carry.

“We all have a voice and it’s on us to have the knowledge to be able to better whatever we can better,” he told reporters.

“If we have a platform to help and put something out and put that knowledge to help, we should.”