NEWSLETTER
DeMar DeRozan’s mental health advocacy continues with his biggest project yet.
The six-time All-Star will debut a series of new short films titled “Dinners with DeMar.” Draymond Green, Damian Lillard, and Dwyane Wade represent the first three athletes who will appear on DeRozan’s show. The first episode will feature Green and is expected to drop on Feb. 20 via DeRozan’s YouTube channel, per the press release (h/t USA Today).
DeMar DeRozan teased the release of the digital series on Tuesday night via X:
For what it’s worth, fans first heard about DeRozan’s project back in May of 2022. The announcement states that Podium Pictures spent the past couple of years recording these intimate conversations with DeRozan and his NBA colleagues. The director is Brett Rapkin, who previously directed the documentary “Weight of Gold,” which focused on the mental health of Olympic athletes.
The Chicago Bulls forward has been one of the NBA’s marquee mental health advocates over the past handful of years. The whole thing started when he sent out a tweet in 2018 (featured in DeMar DeRozan’s post above) that shockingly referenced his feelings of depression. He has since been very open about discussing his personal journey with mental health and the steps he’s taken to improve his day-to-day life. But it sure sounds like this upcoming series will only pull back the curtain more.
All things considered, this serves as an important reminder of the impact DeRozan has made on the NBA throughout his career. While his on-court contributions have been nothing short of impressive (he is currently 35th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list), DeRozan has played a major role in removing the stigma around discussing mental health. He’s setting a great example.
I can’t wait to watch the first episode next week!
