“I’m glad DeRoz’ came home, y’all didn’t deserve him neither,” Kendrick Lamar rapped in his hit Drake diss track. One would, thus, only find it natural to see the former Toronto Raptors star feature in the ‘Not Like Us’ music video, further added on by the fact that the two share close ties. But having had a similar dynamic with Drake, DeMar DeRozan found himself stuck between the devil and the deep blue, at the center of conversations, eventually prompting former NBA player Gilbert Arenas to weigh in on the situation.

“I know that was a difficult thing for him,” Gilbert Arenas said. Drake, being an all-time supporter of the Raptors, watched and supported DeRozan from the sidelines during his 9-season stint with the franchise. “Yeah, he and Drake have a real friendship,” Arenas explained. But he also agreed that the Raptors star wasn’t exactly speaking against Drake. “But it’s not like he was in the video dissing Drake, you know?” the interviewer noted while Arenas agreed. He claimed that DeRozan was just supportive of Compton, California, the city he grew up in. 

According to Gilbert Arenas, DeRozan found himself at “the double-edged sword,” emphasizing the intensity of the situation. Arenas believes that DeRozan’s choice to side with Lamar was the fact that they both grew up in Compton and DeRozan wished to honor his upbringing. “It’s one real friendship, one your city, right? So, no matter where you stand, it’s really about Compton. If you’re not for Compton, then forget the song—are you with Compton or not?” said Gilbert Arenas via VLAD TV.

DeMar DeRozan, being the center of this controversy, opened up about this in an interview with FOX 40. He clarified that there is no beef with Drake, stating “love Drake, always can play him.” He further went on to claim that his relationship with Kendrick Lamar carried more leverage, as “Kendrick’s been a friend of mine, family. Damn near family, for a long time, for a while. We’re from the same city, grew up damn near in the same neighborhood,” which pretty much answers his reason to side with Lamar.

DeMar DeRozan comes back home

DeMar DeRozan and Kendrick Lamar reportedly attended high schools three miles apart. As expressed by the shooting guard, it was a tiny neighborhood and each was supportive of another. So was the case for the two stars here. “It’s a crazy bond when you sit back and look at the ones who came through that city and are successful,” DeRozan had expressed to NBC Sports. And when he signed with the Sacramento Kings for a three-year $74 Million deal, Lamar rightly welcomed him home with the ‘Not Like Us,’ name-drop.

DeRozan was even introduced to the Kings crowd with the song playing in the background on their home court. The six-time All-Star averaged 24 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists for the Chicago Bulls last season. He also finished second to Stephen Curry in voting for the NBA’s Kia Clutch Player of the Year voting.

A few of DeRozan’s most memorable matches include a career-high 52 points against the Milwaukee Bucks in 2018 and helping the Raptors reach their first-ever Eastern Conference Finals in 2016. His dominance and clutch play have made him one of the league’s most-watched players in the NBA. He will now be expected to help the Kings’ renewed core roster with the scoring and possibly towards their first championship in seven decades.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.