DeMar DeRozan Shares Feelings About Raptors 2019 Championship

DeMar DeRozan says he couldn't watch the Toronto Raptors clinch the 2019 Championship following his trade to the San Antonio Spurs

Nov 24, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan (11) drives to the basket against Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) during the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports | John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

DeMar DeRozan couldn't watch.

He looked for every excuse to avoid the 2019 NBA finals. If he could find something to keep himself busy, he did it. After the pain of being traded less than a year earlier, DeRozan told The 25 10 show he couldn't bring himself to watch the Toronto Raptors win the NBA championship.

"It f***ed me up," DeRozan said. "This the reason it f***ed me up because we couldn’t beat one person, we couldn’t beat Bron, you know what I mean? We’d run into Bron and we just couldn’t beat him. So the year when I got traded Bron left. He went to the Lakers. So I was more so mad like give it one more shot. If we had one more. In my mind, that was the whole thing. Like we’ve got this shit now. We gonna win it next year. That was the whole thing."

Toronto had come up short in three straight playoffs against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers before James left in free agency to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Raptors had fired the league's reigning Coach of the Year Dwane Casey in 2018 and DeRozan said he was ready to run it back without James in the way.

But on July 18, 2018, Toronto dealt DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a first-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green in a deal that'll go down as the greatest in franchise history.

DeRozan returned to Toronto for the first time in January 2019 as a member of the Spurs and received a standing ovation and an emotional tribute video.

"It f***ed me up because … for two years in a row every time I went back and played in Toronto they gave me a f***in’ tribute video," DeRozan said. "You don’t realize how much you do for a place until you go back. So that there f***ed me up."

Leonard helped Toronto clinch the 2019 championship and earned Finals MVP honors thanks to his historic performance in the playoffs. For DeRozan, the moment was bittersweet. It was difficult watching Toronto win the title without him, but DeRozan said his former teammates called him following the championship celebration to pay tribute to his time with the organization.

Five years later, DeRozan said he's gotten over the pain. He's moved on from the trade and how he felt during that title run and has found peace now as a member of the Chicago Bulls.