Dillon Brooks has never publicly expressed support for any NBA team. Still, as a native of Mississauga, Canada, it is hard not to believe he watched his fair share of Toronto Raptors games growing up.
A clear proof of his passion was his talk about the team's first championship in 2019. While many focused on the Raptors' historic run, with Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry at the helm, Brooks chose to look at what the team lost ahead of that championship season — franchise legend and six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan .
DeRozan was one of the many Toronto stars who had never brought the team to the promised land. The franchise's fortunes changed when he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs for a package that included the 2014 Finals MVP.
For the Phoenix Suns star this turn of events could only mean one thing.
"Raptors couldn't get over the hump, right?" he said during a livestream. "Yeah, you know why? It's because they got DeRozan out of there."
After having little to no success with Chris Bosh , who left the year after DeRozan was drafted, the Raptors acquired Lowry in 2012, creating a backcourt duo with the star shooting guard. Two years later, the Raptors returned to the playoffs, a success that would continue through the 2017-2018 season.
However, the farthest Lowry and DeRozan could bring the franchise was an Eastern Conference finals appearance in 2015-2016, leaving the franchise's front office to wonder: what was missing? Brooks viewed the situation differently: what was holding the Raptors back?
"I'll be real for the city, bro," he said. "DeRozan was not pulling his weight out there. He couldn't win."
In the summer of 2018, DeRozan, along with Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round pick, was traded to the Spurs in exchange for Leonard and Danny Green .
The Raptors defeated the Orlando Magic , escaped the Philadelphia 76ers , punctuated by Leonard's iconic shot in Game 7, before finally taking down the Milwaukee Bucks in the conference finals. They then dethroned the dynastic Golden State Warriors to bag the franchise's first-ever NBA title.
They did all without DeRozan, who averaged 19.7 points, 3.1 assists and 4.1 rebounds during his nine-year stay. And for Brooks, that departure was what made the difference.
One of the main reasons why the Raptors could not "go over the hump" was LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers , who prevailed in each of their clashes from 2016 to 2018 – including an Eastern Conference Finals series.
Cleveland became Toronto's tormentor. Its leader, King James, became the team's recurring nightmare. The Raptors even earned the nickname "LeBronto" for how many times they got rolled over by the same foes. DeRozan summed up this era with one quote after they got swept a second time in the 2017 playoffs.
"If we had LeBron on our team," DeMar said . "We would've won, too."
This quote showed the mentality that irked Brooks the most about DeRozan's time in Toronto. No one questioned his All-Star talent, his work ethic and dedication. However, for Dillon, even in defeat, the team, most especially its stars, should never lose its pride.
"He run into LeBron, can't do nothing," he said. "You can choke, but you can't go to the media and say, like, 'Can't do nothing without LeBron.' I was like, what the hell?"
However, Brooks' take is oversimplistic and discounts what DeRozan did for the city. Although it is undeniable that the Raptors soared when he left the team, DeRozan is still a franchise legend.
His stint will forever be remembered as an era full of potential. It was simply time for Toronto to move on from him and search for other avenues. The answer just happened to be Leonard.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Feb 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
