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On Dec. 18, USC Trojans star JuJu Watkins appeared alongside coach Lindsay Gottlieb on the podcast "Good Game with Sarah Spain." During the course of the conversation, Watkins spoke about a hometown player she looked up to while growing up.
She mentioned looking up to DeMar DeRozan, the Sacramento Kings' star earning $23,400,000 according to Spotrac, ever since she was five years old.
"I will probably say DeMar. His dad was in my area. I was probably like five (years old) or something when he was there. I just love his game. Him being a USC alum as well ... just being able to reach out to him and knowing that he's kind of in our backyard is amazing," JuJu Watkins said (33:28).
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JuJu Watkins and DeMar DeRozan share a bond rooted in their Southern California origins, with DeRozan growing up in Compton and Watkins in Watts. As a USC alumnus, DeRozan has taken the USC star under his wing, and they have been spotted together during offseason workout sessions.
The six-time NBA All-Star once dropped by her practice session to show her some of his signature moves. After the visit, she took to Instagram to express her gratitude, saying he was "dropping gems."
JuJu Watkins on why she chose USC Trojans over Dawn Staley's South Carolina
Early in the podcast with Sarah Pain, JuJu Watkins opened up about her collegiate choice. It was reported that before choosing the USC Trojans, she had a long list of offers from other prestigious schools.
"You know, for so many reasons I chose USC, but I think one of the biggest things that stood out was just the culture here," JuJu asserted (15:55). "The staff, Coach Lindsey, all the assistant coaches. I just, you know, got a really good vibe here and I kind of felt like everything fell into place in perfect timing in making my decision."
Furthermore, she stated that another reason for her decision was to be closer to home. Currently, in her sophomore season, she is averaging 24.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game for USC (11-1).
