Raptors legend, now Grizzlies glue guy, almost made DeRozan give up Kobe growing up in California.
There was a conflict in the mind of a young DeMar DeRozan, torn between his hometown hero and a basketball player he admired from afar.
He’d sit in his Compton, Calif., home early Sunday mornings and marvel at the abilities of the guy in the funny purple jersey while dreaming of imitating a star who played not too far away.