DeMar DeRozan ESPN interview

[oneye]

I realize this isn't exactly Jazz specific, but there are things in this interview that remind me of DM a little, of the Jazz a little, of our issues quite a bit honestly. Watching this interview made me feel bad for DeRozan, and made me realize how much the Raptors f**** up trading him. I would hope the Jazz never would do a player so committed to them dirty like this. If you have a guy that's that good, and that committed to you in a place where it's harder to keep guys, and hard to get free agents (see us) you don't do this to your guy. Period. I would hope and actually do believe the Jazz would stick by their guy and wouldn't do their guy dirty like this. It's a bad look IMO.

 

[MVP]

Well, DeRozan while hard worker and loyal guy was never the one to lead Raptors to Finals due to his shortcomings in playoffs. While a lot of blame was on their coach and Lowry, DeRozan was a big part why they got swept by Cavs two times in a row ( or swept by lower seed Wizzards 3 years ago). Masai had a chance to get top 5 player to Toronto and he did it. Sucks for DeRozan but it is business and I completely understand why Raptors did it. He had his chance to prove that he can be the man in Toronto and he failed. I actually think it would have made more sense to trade Lowry who is really overpaid right now but either Spurs did not want him or salaries did not work.

 

[oneye]

Well, DeRozan while hard worker and loyal guy was never the one to lead Raptors to Finals due to his shortcomings in playoffs. While a lot of blame was on their coach and Lowry, DeRozan was a big part why they got swept by Cavs two times in a row ( or swept by lower seed Wizzards 3 years ago). Masai had a chance to get top 5 player to Toronto and he did it. Sucks for DeRozan but it is business and I completely understand why Raptors did it. He had his chance to prove that he can be the man in Toronto and he failed. I actually think it would have made more sense to trade Lowry who is really overpaid right now but either Spurs did not want him or salaries did not work.

So you want players to ride with the teams when they’re great, but teams/fans shouldn’t ride with the players through the highs and lows? A player like DeRozan is around every corner, especially in most markets. He isn’t the guy they should have traded IMO. You can’t just go out and get another player like him. I think as fans and organizations you should ride with your guy a little more. It would give players more trust and loyalty when it comes down to it. Most fans want great players to ride through the highs and lows, as fans and organizations maybe we should do the same thing at times. DeRozan is a great player and still relatively young. Stockton and Malone couldn’t beat Jordan, I guess they should have been traded right? They couldn’t beat Lebron, that’s a beast of a task if you’ve watched him during the playoffs at all the last decade. A business? Sure. But there’s good business and bad business.

 

[Siro]

**** championships. They owed him the basic decency of being open and honest with him.

 

[Gameface]

Well, DeRozan while hard worker and loyal guy was never the one to lead Raptors to Finals due to his shortcomings in playoffs. While a lot of blame was on their coach and Lowry, DeRozan was a big part why they got swept by Cavs two times in a row ( or swept by lower seed Wizzards 3 years ago). Masai had a chance to get top 5 player to Toronto and he did it. Sucks for DeRozan but it is business and I completely understand why Raptors did it. He had his chance to prove that he can be the man in Toronto and he failed. I actually think it would have made more sense to trade Lowry who is really overpaid right now but either Spurs did not want him or salaries did not work.

LeBron James was a big part of the reason they got swept...

 

[Jazz and Utes]

The funniest part of this trade is the total ends of the spectrums of loyalty... You had a guy like Kawai that people were complaining about not having any loyalty, than you have the other end where a guy like DeMar was completely screwed over and lied to.

That's why I laugh when people talk about loyalty from athletes, it's their career not ours. I've only ever been mad at an athlete once and that was Hayward and it wasn't because he left, only because he left us thinking for 4 hrs that he may stay.

 

[MVP]

LeBron James was a big part of the reason they got swept...

Lebron did not play for Wizards in 2016 playoffs.
Both Celtics and Pacers took Cavs and Lebron to game 7. Are they better than Raptors? Now, but they had players who did not shrink at the site of Lebron and coaches who knew how to exploit Cavs weaknesses. Raptors were 0-10 vs Cavs in their last 10 games. DeRozan had more than enough chances to prove he can do it and he failed.

 

[MVP]

DeMar was completely screwed over and lied to.

Nobody lied to him. Masai said there was no promises made that he won't be traded. DeMar is being a bit of a diva here.

 

[kabenac]

Random, but maybe three years ago I saw Derozan's dad at the LAX post office. He was wearing a Raptors jersey and on the back it read 'DeRozan's Dad'.

 

[Siro]

The funniest part of this trade is the total ends of the spectrums of loyalty... You had a guy like Kawai that people were complaining about not having any loyalty, than you have the other end where a guy like DeMar was completely screwed over and lied to.

That's why I laugh when people talk about loyalty from athletes, it's their career not ours. I've only ever been mad at an athlete once and that was Hayward and it wasn't because he left, only because he left us thinking for 4 hrs that he may stay.

In that case, there's no reason to watch. I'm not that interested in paying to watch businessmen maximize their careers.

I'm sure some people will still watch just as they do gymnastics, for the athleticism and spectacle. But team sports are huge because of the emotional connection fans form with their teams. If it's all just business, then the NBA is already dead.

But I don't think that's the case. At least not for the Jazz, who seem to understand it's NOT just business.

 

[MVP]

And you guys should stop being sorry for the guy who makes $75.999,00 a day while playing a game for 8 month and then having paid vacation for 4 month. Give me half of it and my boss can trade me to Bangladesh for all I care, I would not cry about freaking loyalty.

 

[Jazz and Utes]

In that case, there's no reason to watch. I'm not that interested in paying to watch businessmen maximize their careers.

I'm sure some people will still watch just as they do gymnastics, for the athleticism and spectacle. But team sports are huge because of the emotional connection fans form with their teams. If it's all just business, then the NBA is already dead.

But I don't think that's the case. At least not for the Jazz, who seem to understand it's NOT just business.

I agree though, I don't blame them, but it doesn't mean I like it.

 

[Gameface]

And you guys should stop being sorry for the guy who makes $75.999,00 a day while playing a game for 8 month and then having paid vacation for 4 month. Give me half of it and my boss can trade me to Bangladesh for all I care, I would not cry about freaking loyalty.

I can only feel sorry for poor people?

What's the cut-off?

A guy loses his kids in a house fire and I'm like "That house was worth more than $1 million, he's gonna get compensated by his insurance company plus the life insurance on the dead kids, no reason to feel sorry for him."

Humans are still made of the same stuff regardless of how much money they have. Same emotions, same desires.

 

[Knowledgeofmine]

I realize this isn't exactly Jazz specific, but there are things in this interview that remind me of DM a little, of the Jazz a little, of our issues quite a bit honestly. Watching this interview made me feel bad for DeRozan, and made me realize how much the Raptors f**** up trading him. I would hope the Jazz never would do a player so committed to them dirty like this. If you have a guy that's that good, and that committed to you in a place where it's harder to keep guys, and hard to get free agents (see us) you don't do this to your guy. Period. I would hope and actually do believe the Jazz would stick by their guy and wouldn't do their guy dirty like this. It's a bad look IMO.

it's a business. It's clear you would never be successful running a business. If you want loyalty watch and follow college ball.

 

[Siro]

I can only feel sorry for poor people?

What's the cut-off?

A guy loses his kids in a house fire and I'm like "That house was worth more than $1 million, he's gonna get compensated by his insurance company plus the life insurance on the dead kids, no reason to feel sorry for him."

Humans are still made of the same stuff regardless of how much money they have. Same emotions, same desires.

He can afford to have a brand new kid anyway.

 

[bigmike]

I pass no judgment on the organization for trading him if that's what they thought was in the best interest of the team. Part of the business. However, the lack of transparency is pretty damning if it went down the way DeMar describes it. Always best to be straight up with people, regardless of circumstances.

 

[LogGrad98]

The funniest part of this trade is the total ends of the spectrums of loyalty... You had a guy like Kawai that people were complaining about not having any loyalty, than you have the other end where a guy like DeMar was completely screwed over and lied to.

That's why I laugh when people talk about loyalty from athletes, it's their career not ours. I've only ever been mad at an athlete once and that was Hayward and it wasn't because he left, only because he left us thinking for 40 days that he may stay.

Fixed. And I am probably understating it.

 

[oneye]

What I’m essentially saying is the Jazz have a guy a lot like DeRozan it would appear (better basketball wise probably) who has from the second he got here for an entire year began to try and shift the entire narrative of this franchise and playing here. It’s a commitment not many players have, and goes beyond business. When as a player you put so much into your game and your connection with your fan base, it’s more than just business.

If Donovan continues to do what he’s doing (or Rudy for that matter)for this franchise, how would you feel if the Jazz did him dirty like that? How would you feel if Donovan simply couldn’t get past the best player in the world, and quite possibly the best athlete ever, and was traded in such a shady way after giving everything he had to the Jazz and the fans here?

There’s only one team that wins a title every year. There are only so many players the caliber of DeRozan or there. No way I’d be okay with what happened as a Toronto fan. I’d rather have our guy and see him treated fairly than what happened here.

I would rather have 2 decades of Stockton and Malone than see them traded to rebuild just because they couldn’t beat Jordan.

No when a guy commits himself to your franchise and community that much you owe him some respect and loyalty back as an organization and a fan base. Now luckily, and sometimes to a fault, I do believe the Jazz take it much more as a business with a very personal side to it. DL every time he is asked about trades automatically brings up how these are real people with families, not a video game and they have real lives. I do believe the Jazz consider their players well beings in this business, and I commend and applaud them for that.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

**** championships. They owed him the basic decency of being open and honest with him.

I disagree.

You tell a player you are talking about trading him and it falls through, then the guy is going to be in his feelings. Or he calls his agent and tells him to try and sabotage the trade through the media with leaks.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

I pass no judgment on the organization for trading him if that's what they thought was in the best interest of the team. Part of the business. However, the lack of transparency is pretty damning if it went down the way DeMar describes it. Always best to be straight up with people, regardless of circumstances.

Its better to lie to them tbh when regarding trades.