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Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan was notably name-dropped by popular rapper Kendrick Lamar in his ongoing beef with Drake. The two artists have continued to send shots at one another in the form of diss tracks, with the NBA community eagerly awaiting each artist's next move. At one point during the beef, Lamar name-dropped Bulls star DeMar DeRozan.
The moment caught many fans by surprise at first, with some questioning whether or not Lamar meant the NBA veteran, or perhaps was referencing another individual. Fans did some digging to confirm and found that it appears as though Lamar did in fact reference the Bulls star.
In his song, Not Like Us, Lamar rapped that he was glad DeRozan came home because Drake's Toronto Raptors didn't deserve him. DeRozan's departure from Toronto was seen as bittersweet, and although sad, it made way for Kawhi Leonard to win the team a ring, but his departure still stung for Toronto fans.
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Drake, of course, has not only been a longtime Raptors fan, he's also the team ambassador for the Raptors. Now, in the wake of the Not Like Us diss track, DeMar DeRozan himself was seen on social media enjoying himself while listening to Lamar's former label-mate Schoolboy Q.
Note: While this post appeared on DeMar DeRozan's Instagram story, given that the stories automatically delete after 24 hours it cannot be embeded. Instead, check out a screenshot of the post below.
Looking at the connection between DeMar DeRozan and Kendrick Lamar
As previously mentioned, some viewed Kendrick Lamar's decision to name-drop DeRozan as somewhat surprising and out of left field. However, if we dig a little deeper, we can see that the pair have some connections to one another.
As some fans may be aware, DeRozan and Lamar both grew up in Compton, California. According to Andscape, the pair went to high school just three miles apart and have been friends for some time.
In 2020, when the Black Lives Matter movement was sweeping the nation, DeRozan and Lamar were both seen together in Compton protesting. Photos captured the duo at the time, with LaMar appearing in a mask to cover his face and keep his identiy obscured.
DeMar DeRozan's offseason after play-in exit
While many fans were weighing in on DeRozan's social media post, others were discussing his offseason after being eliminated from the play-in tournament. Following a disappointing season that saw he and the Chicago Bulls struggle to find consistency, the team wound up in the play-in tournament.
There, they were eliminated by the Miami Heat while competing for the eighth seed, ushering in an early postseason. With the offseason now underway, the big question is whether the Bulls retain or sign-and-trade DeMar DeRozan before the start of the next season.
