DeMar DeRozan Says He Was Shocked By The Cold & French When First Coming To Canada
"I didn't know how to dress. I'd never been to the cold."
DeMar DeRozan is pretty much an honorary Canadian these days, but the former Raptors player wasn't always so comfortable hanging out in the True North.
DeRozan opened up in a video from the Bleacher Report earlier this month about his initial reaction and fears after being drafted by Toronto back in 2009.
In fact, the player revealed that the move was actually a culture shock and he was surprised by a few things, including French signs and cold winters.
"I didn't have a passport. I didn't have none of that sh*t. Threw me off. Like, damn, nobody I know has a passport," the NBA star revealed. "I got my passport two days before the draft to go to Toronto. I remember going up there by myself that next morning. I'm seeing sh*t in an airport in French. I'm losing it."
The 32-year-old, who now plays for the Chicago Bulls, also revealed how ill-prepared he was for his first Ontario winter.
"There go the whole culture shock all over again. And this time around it's somewhere where I can't just go home. I didn't have nobody with me. I was by myself. I remember I was still wearing Chucks in the wintertime. I didn't know how to dress. I'd never been to the cold."
The iconic power forward did eventually figure out how to thrive in the 6ix and was ultimately devastated when he left the team in 2018.