After years of playoff disappointment, Raptors stars Demar Derozan and Kyle Lowry are hell-bent on owning the road to the NBA finals.
Ok, ok, yes: The Raptors are quite aware of their playoff reputation—four exits in four years, just once past the conference semifinals. But this year, with a revamped playing style and an Eastern Conference-best 59 wins (a franchise record), Toronto is determined to rewrite the narrative. Stars DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry sat down with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols to talk about their on-court evolution, tight bond and pride for the Great White North.
ESPN: The regular season you guys just put in the books is a pretty big departure for the NBA. Usually if a team hasn’t gotten quite where management wants it to go, they rip up the roster. This team, you guys kept the roster and changed the playbook. Now that you’ve seen that evolution through a season, how do you think it went?
DeMAR DeROZAN: I think you gotta withstand the test of time, you know? You gotta go through them dog days sometimes, to be built even stronger. And I think that’s what we did. You gotta give the credit to the front office, believing. And it’s a testament to us, sticking to our game. And one that continued to get better.
Your playing-style changes have been well-documented over the season. The one story I really liked was that during some of the intrasquad scrimmages early on, the coaches changed the scoring. So if you guys hit a corner 3, that actually counted for four points. But if you hit a midrange jumper, it counted for zero points. What was that like?
This story is from the May 07, 2018 edition of ESPN The Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 07, 2018 edition of ESPN The Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The Rape Allegation Against Cristiano Ronaldo Reveals Fame's Protective Shield
To be the world’s most famous athlete means Cristiano Ronaldo can appear on screens everywhere yet somehow elude the fallout from a rape allegation.
Michelle Waterson Reps More Than Herself In The Cage
MMA is a violent and unforgiving sport. But instead of shielding her young daughter from her career, Michelle Waterson is bringing her along every step of the way.
Kyler Murray Owns His Future In A Way No Other Rookie Has
As Kyler Murray decides which sport will win his talents, at least one thing is clear: He owns his future in a way no other rookie has.
Kyle Kuzma Turned A Sneaker Obsession Into A Legit Business Opportunity
No eight-figure shoe deal? No problem. The Lakers’ Kyle Kuzma walked his own path to sneaker supremacy.
Bryce Harper Is One Very Big Deal
He’s baseball’s best-known face and now its richest player. In this exclusive interview, the All-Star talks rejecting $300 million, recruiting Mike Trout and becoming a Phillie for life.
Kyler Murray - Will Past Be Prologue For The Possible Top NFL Draft Pick?
Sizable expectations? Kyler Murray’s got a few: go No. 1 in the draft, become a franchise player and—oh yeah— completely blow up decades of doctrine about short quarterbacks.
Eternal Champions
Seven months ago, Brazilian underdogs Chapecoense boarded a plane to play in the game of their lives. Instead, their biggest moment turned into a tragedy no one can forget.
The Higher Power of Russell Wilson
How Russell Wilson kept the faith during the Seahawks’ darkest hours.
25 Things We Thought We Knew About the College Football Season
Teen pregnancy usually gets the spotlight, but women in their 20s have much greater numbers of unwanted pregnancies. And for Latinas, that raises the stakes.
Watch the Throne: LeBron James vs Stephen Curry
Will Stephen Curry’s rise lead to the fall of LeBron James?
