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DeMar DeRozan, the standout wing player for the Chicago Bulls, has achieved remarkable success over his 14-year NBA career, earning six All-Star selections and establishing himself as one of the league's premier scorers.
To attain his level of prowess, DeRozan acknowledges that he drew inspiration from several great players he faced early in his career. Among these influences, he attributes a significant portion of his offensive skill set to Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade.
During an appearance on the "Iman Amongst Men" podcast, DeRozan was asked about the star shooting guards or small forwards with whom he had the most intense battles. He also discussed from whom he gleaned the most moves to enhance his capabilities in the modern NBA.
DeRozan spoke in-depth about how tough it was to go against Wade back when he primarily played at the shooting guard position. He then spoke about how he learned to emulate the Heat legend’s offensive repertoire. This includes mimicking Wade’s elite mid-range game and learning how to take advantage of his athleticism:
“S**t, I was a two. I played primary two. So, I always had to deal with D-Wade,” DeRozan said.
“D-Wade, he was a motherf**ker. Being fast, quick, the way he reject. If he don't got the reject, he take your a** in the post, pump fake, and that's where a lot of my game started to come from. Using the pump fake from D-Wade, getting to the mid-range, picking your spots, using your athletic ability, getting downhill. Seeing D-Wade so much really made me feel like, ‘S**t, I gotta add a lot of this aspect to my game,’” DeRozan added.
DeMar DeRozan also learned a lot from his idol, Kobe Bryant
Later on in his podcast appearance, DeMar DeRozan added that LA Lakers legend Kobe Bryant is still his all-time favorite player. The Bulls star said that he also learned a ton from Bryant.
However, DeRozan clarified that Dwyane Wade was still the player that he learned the most from firsthand. This was due to he and Wade playing in the same conference during DeRozan’s first nine seasons with the Toronto Raptors:
“Obviously, Kobe was my everything. I learned so much,” DeRozan said.
“But seeing D-Wade so much in the East, at the two position, you had to steal so much from the dude.”
