DeRozan’s childhood dreams forged with Harden come true
While others see James Harden and consider ways to defend him and the challenges that come with it, Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan sees Harden before he set his first record or could even grow his first beard. Born a few weeks and miles apart in Los Angeles, Harden and DeRozan grew up playing with and against one another and dreaming of the day they would reach the NBA.
“If we saw something from one of our favorite players or anything that had to do with the NBA, we thought about putting us in the same position, same mindset, wanting to be like that one day,” DeRozan said.
“From the standpoint of us being young, having a dream of just wanting to make it. Literally just wanting to make it, kids growing up, playing against each other, just knowing each other since we were kids, going through college, still having those same dreams of making it. To getting drafted together. Everything.”
“Whenever you get a chance to play against somebody you have a personal relationship with that stems back to … imagination and dreams of playing basketball, it’s always cool.”
They still play together in the offseasons in the Drew League in Los Angeles. But DeRozan said the two meetings each season remind him of how far they have come.
“You look in the league now and you see us kind of in the forefront, being on All-Star teams; he won an Olympic gold medal, I have one,” DeRozan said. “So many things, big accomplishments from somebody that you grew up with is definitely cool.”