LeBron James, Alex Caruso in splits at DeMar DeRozan’s cheeky 'Coach Carter' reference for 2026 All-Star Weekend

Sacramento Kings star DeMar DeRozan could be joining Kevin Love as the next NBA veteran who will take over Instagram with his hilarious memes. DeRozan's latest post about the All-Star Weekend received plenty of laughs from players such as LeBron James and Alex Caruso.

In a post on Instagram, DeRozan shared a clip from the basketball movie Coach Carter starring Samuel L. Jackson. It was from the start of the film when the St. Francis Mustangs were beating the Richmond Oilers in a preseason game led by Ty Crane, who was rumored to be based on Tyson Chandler.

DeRozan captioned it as how the 2026 All-Star Game could look like inside the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. It was a reference to how bad the Oilers were playing prior to Coach Carter's arrival at the school, connecting it to the lack of competitiveness among players at the All-Star games.

DeMar DeRozan's meme garnered a lot of laughs from his peers such as LeBron James, Alex Caruso, Kevin Love and Javonte Green.

"🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣," James commented.

"🤣🤣," Caruso wrote.

Players' reaction to DeRozan's post (Photo: @demar_derozan on IG)

NBA stars sharing memes suddenly became a trend after Kevin Love went hilariously ballistic on Instagram following the Jimmy Butler drama of the Miami Heat. Love consistently shared meme after meme that also included the fight between Amen Thompson and Tyler Herro.

The one-time NBA champion has been widely praised by fans and fellow players for putting on a show on social media. He even tried to "retire" from his hilarious memes but returned recently with the latest one about Herro's win at the 2025 3-Point Shootout.

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DeMar DeRozan has not been an All-Star since 2023

DeMar DeRozan has not been an All-Star since 2023. (Photo: IMAGN)

After three years with the Chicago Bulls, DeMar DeRozan was traded to the Sacramento Kings as part of a sign-and-trade last summer. DeRozan was a two-time All-Star in Chicago, putting up career-scoring numbers, including averaging 27.9 points per game in his first year there.

DeRozan was a four-time All-Star with the Toronto Raptors and didn't get recognition in his three years with the San Antonio Spurs. Nevertheless, he remains an accomplished star in the league and one of the best players of his generation.

In his first year in Sacramento, DeRozan is averaging 21.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.0 steals per game. He's shooting 48.7% from the field, including 34.0% from beyond the arc, and 86.4% from the charity stripe.