NBA franchises are taking an increasingly analytical approach to roster construction and strategy, and seasons have become championship-or-bust for many. But watching games through spreadsheets diminishes their pageantry, and a player’s legacy is about much more than how many rings he has accumulated by the time he retires.
Sacramento Kings shooting guard DeMar DeRozan, a six-time All-Star, has had enough of the discourse around advanced stats and playoff success shaping the narrative around his career.
The Volume’s self-described “sports super nerd” Carson Breber, co-host of the Nerd Sesh podcast, scrutinized DeRozan’s career on Thursday night, and the Kings veteran was having none of it.
“DeMar DeRozan only needs to average 18 PPG for another 105 games to surpass Shaq in career points and enter the all-time Top 10 I find this deeply disturbing,” Breber posted on X.
It didn’t take long for DeRozan to find the post and pointedly ask how Breber had the credentials to criticize anyone’s career.
“Disturbing!? F— that mean? Who the hell is you to have an opinion on somebody career. Clown!” DeRozan responded.
DeRozan’s career, which has seen him revitalize basketball in Toronto during his time with the Raptors, make three All-NBA teams without ever cheating the game, and become an advocate for mental health, has been a categorical success, even if he retires without a championship ring. Breber, however, was intent on viewing DeRozan’s legacy through a narrow lens.
“I think it’s weird that your teams have been better with you off the court for your entire career, and you are probably going to end up with more career points than Shaq,” he responded, to which DeMar DeRozan made it clear what he feels is weird.
Even if his game isn’t the perfect fit for a league optimized by the three-point shot, DeMar DeRozan has had an extraordinary career, however you slice it. Although negativity and contrarian takes may garner more viewership and higher earnings for podcast hosts, painting DeRozan’s legacy as anything else is a disservice not only to him but to basketball as a whole.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.