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It hurts but it works: DeRozan gets painful shoelace treatment

Toronto Raptors’ sports science director Alex McKechnie’s oddball shoelace treatment on DeMar DeRozan’s sprained thumb helped him score 34 points against Miami Heat

Ouch! Toronto Raptors' DeMar DeRozan has his swollen thumb wrapped in string before Game 5 against the Miami Heat May 11.

MIAMI—The thin red shoelace that Alex McKechnie carries in the pocket of his sweatpants has virtually become the Raptors’ sixth man.

DeMar DeRozan credited McKechnie’s oddball shoelace treatment on his sprained thumb for helping him score 34 points in Toronto’s victory over Miami in Game 5.

During timeouts, the Raptors’ director of sports science wrapped DeRozan’s thumb tightly from top to bottom with what the all-star guard called the “thousand-dollar shoelace.