The breakup between DeMar DeRozan was swift and messy, but time heals all wounds. The San Antonio Spurs traveled to the top of Lake Ontario on Friday to visit the Toronto Raptors in a game that certainly had some added meaning for one of their star players.
While Kawhi Leonard has by now acclimated himself to Toronto and the Raptors, DeRozan had not visited his longtime home since the trade that moved him from Toronto and got Leonard out of a strange situation in San Antonio.
While DeRozan was publicly upset over the trade, the Raptors did right by him and gave the star a thank you video they aired in the arena early on Friday night.
For all the good times
For all you’ve done for this City, for CanadaThank you, @DeMar_DeRozan pic.twitter.com/uxFLPQv1Sw
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) February 23, 2019
The Raptors thanked DeRozan for not just what he did for the city of Toronto, but basketball in Canada as a whole. The Raptors are the only NBA team in the country, mind you, and he and Kyle Lowry did a lot to amplify the organization in the eye of the sports scene across the nation. In fact, their friendship was another big talking point as DeRozan returned to Toronto on Friday night.
Lowry spoke to the Toronto Star and talked about a future friendship the two have post basketball, already considering a time when they are both done with their playing careers.
“One day we’ll retire, we’ll be hanging out on the porch, drinking lemonade together,” Lowry said. “That’s what you cherish about the friendship.”
What’s nice is that all the bad blood between the parties involved seems to be gone. A lot of people still care about DeRozan in Toronto, but having a chance to win a title takes sacrifices, some tougher than others.
