DeMar DeRozan reveals the truth behind his infamous depression tweet after 6 years: "Me just hitting the wall"

In the latter part of DeMar DeRozan’s final season with the Toronto Raptors in 2017-18, he opened up about his struggle with depression, surprising fans by revealing it had been affecting him deeply. Many see this tweet as a catalyst for normalizing talking about mental health in NBA circles, with Kevin Love also opening up about his struggles.

DeMar DeRozan is now promoting his book “Above the Noise: My Story of Chasing Calm,” where he shares his public battle with depression, hoping to encourage others not to suffer in silence.

When asked on ESPN's “First Take” about his progress six years after his initial revelation, DeRozan admitted he felt lost at the time despite his career success.

“Then, you know, I was extremely lost and not knowing why because everything was going so great for me career-wise,” he said. “At the height of my career—All-Stars, winning—everything was going perfect, you know, from a career standpoint, but not knowing emotionally and mentally where I was at.”

“I think that night, tweeting that tweet, was me just hitting the wall, and everything since then has been me kind of trying to build myself back up, you know, from a human standpoint.”

DeRozan also praised Kevin Love for being one of the first NBA players to speak out about his own mental health struggles.

“Big shoutouts to Kevin Love, you know, for coming out and speaking his story,” DeRozan said. “But so many guys just kind of came to me with a different perspective outside of basketball, and the feeling I got from it was, you know, me speaking for them as well. That meant the world to me.”

DeMar DeRozan is looking forward to winning in Sacramento

DeMar DeRozan has signed a three-year, $73.7 million contract with the Sacramento Kings, with a $10 million partial guarantee in the final year.

In his first press conference with the team, he expressed excitement about the Kings' tradition of lighting the beam after home wins.

“I want to be one of those guys that hits the beam,” DeRozan said per NBC Sports Bay Area. “I will work my butt off more than ever to make sure the city gets what it deserves…I just want to win at the highest of levels.”

Sacramento’s beam lighting ceremony is a celebrated tradition at the Golden 1 Center after home victories.

DeRozan's signing with Sacramento marks his return to California, his home state. With his family based in LA, the Compton native is back home after a career that took him to Toronto, San Antonio and Chicago.

Signing DeMar DeRozan is a major move by the Kings to stay competitive in the tough Western Conference. This offseason, they also re-signed Malik Monk with a four-year, $78 million deal and drafted Devin Carter, a versatile defensive guard.