Sunday, March 14, 2010 | Home
NBA Draft: Compton's DeMar DeRozan Taken Ninth Overall
by Mike Guardabascio | Compton | 06.26.09 |
| Text Size:
+

It was a little over two years ago that one of our writers, Ryan ZumMallen, texted JJ and I and said, "Hey, this kid from Compton DeMar DeRozan is going to be in the NBA in two years, and he's playing at Lakewood tonight.  We should probably go check him out."  Last night, DeRozan completed his relatively short journey to his dreamworld, when he was called up to the podium as the ninth overall draft pick.  He'll be heading across the border to play for the Toronto Raptors.

DeRozan was projected to go anywhere from third to fifteenth, but with the Raptors he's almost guaranteed a lot of minutes next season, so the nineteen-year old will be on ESPN soon enough.  Raptors head coach Jay Triano told his team's local paper, the Globe and Mail, that "it was very close in the room.  We have a lot of arguments [about whom to pick' but every night when we left, DeMar DeRozan was still at the top of our list."

We'll let you know when he signs his deal, officially finishing off his journey to a dream that so many young players have, and so few see realized.  And for those of us left in Long Beach, and Compton, we'll have the joy of rooting for him as he travels down the (hopefully long) path of his career.  And we'll of course be left with the memory of that night in the Lakewood gym, when we watched a 17-year old kid pass the ball to himself off the backboard, and dunk it. 

 

 


Written by Mike Guardabascio
Mike Guardabascio has been a fan of Long Beach sports since he was a kid, playing soccer, basketball, and football in the city's parks. He's been writing professionally for seven years and has published in over 25 newspapers, magazines, and websites. He loves what he does. Read More Articles by Mike Guardabascio...

Comments
Click Here to Leave a Comment

mike guardabascio
and if you're wondering about the video quality--this was like our second highlight!

Scott
I'm a Raptors fan in Toronto. DeMar looks like a very special player with unlimited potential,you're always welcome to visit my town and watch Demar suit up for the Raps

Ryan Z
What's cool about Demar is that he had offers to transfer to Dominguez or (rumor has it) Oak Hill, but chose to stay at Compton High. It was great to see him reach the ultimate stage tonight, and I wish him well in the NBA - where I believe his game will really blossom. He's got the quintessential SG body and unbelievable athleticism that didn't quite translate at USC. It may take a few years for his game to fully develop, but Demar will be lighting up highlight reels along the way.


Archives

March, 2010

03.14.10 Boys' State BBall: Tarbabes Upset Ike, Move To SoCal Final
03.13.10 TONIGHT: CIF State BBall, Compton Boys @ Eisenhower
03.13.10 Compton's DeRozan Helping Improve Literacy
03.11.10 State BBall: Tarbabes Rebound In Second-Round Win
03.11.10 UPDATE: Poly, Compton, LBSU, St. Anthony Go Semi-Crazy
03.11.10 SportsNight: All Basketball Show
03.11.10 TONIGHT: CIF State BBall, Compton @ Hoover
03.09.10 CIF State Boys' BBall: Compton Gets First-Round Win
03.09.10 LIVE UPDATES: Poly Boys And Girls BBall Start State Playoffs
03.09.10 By The Books: HS Sports Rankings
03.07.10 Basketball: CIF State Brackets
03.07.10 CIF Basketball: Tarbabes Fall To Nighthawks In Div 2 Final
03.07.10 VIDEO: Compton Vs. Murrieta Valley CIF Final
03.07.10 CIF State Brackets Coming!
03.06.10 LIVE UPDATES! Compton Vs. Murrieta Valley
03.06.10 TODAY: Compton Vs. Murrieta Valley, CIF Championship!
03.06.10 BASEBALL: Moore League Scores From Opening Day
03.04.10 SportsNight: All Basketball Show
03.04.10 Be A Fan Of LBPOSTsports On Facebook!
03.03.10 LBUSD Cuts To Affect Wilson, Millikan Athletics
03.02.10 HELP SAVE LB SPORTS!
03.01.10 CIF Championship Schedule Announced

February, 2010

02.28.10 LA Times Preseason High School Baseball Rankings
02.28.10 UPDATED CIF Bracket: Boys' Basketball
02.27.10 CIF Boys' BBall: Compton Romps Burbank For Title Trip
02.26.10 TONIGHT: Compton Vs. Burbank, CIF Boys' BBall Semis
02.25.10 SportsNight: All Basketball Show
02.25.10 UPDATED Boys' BBall CIF Bracket
02.24.10 CIF Boys' BBall: Compton Downs Edison To Make Semis
02.23.10 PHOTOS: MLB Youth Academy

Show All Archives


About Us | Contact Us | Policies