DeRozan, Gay bid farewell to Spurs, city – San Antonio Express-News
SAN ANTONIO – DeMar DeRozan took to social media early Tuesday night to bid farewell to the Spurs and their fans.
Hours after the Spurs traded him to the Chicago Bulls for two forwards and draft picks, the four-time All-Star tweeted a heartfelt goodbye to San Antonio.
“I want to take the time to thank the Spurs organization and the fans in San Antonio for embracing me the way that they have over the past three seasons,” DeRozan wrote. “The Spurs lived up to their reputation as one of the classiest organizations in the league during my time with the team.
“I’m grateful for the times I shared with my teammates, our coaches and staff. THANK YOU!”
DeRozan came to the Spurs in summer 2018 as part of the blockbuster trade that sent Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors.
The Los Angeles native, who spent his first nine seasons in Toronto, led the Spurs in scoring the last two seasons and in assists the last three seasons. He put together one of the best overall campaigns of his career in 2020-21, averaging 21.6 points, a career-best 6.9 assists and 4.2 rebounds while sinking 51.5 percent of his 2-point attempts and a career-high 88.0 percent of his free throw tries.
For his three seasons with the Spurs, he averaged 21.6 points, 6.2 assists and 5.3 rebounds and hit 51.4 percent of his 2-point attempts and 85.1 percent of his shots from the charity stripe.
DeMar DeRozan #10 of the San Antonio Spurs celebrates after hitting the game-winning shot against the Dallas Mavericks in the final second of the game at American Airlines Center on April 11, 2021 in Dallas.
Tom Pennington/Getty Images
DeRozan gained the respect of his coaches, teammates and the Spurs fans with his all-out effort, clutch play, willingness to mentor his younger teammates and his ability to overcome adversity, including the death of his father this past season. He also was praised for his work as an advocate for mental health awareness after speaking candidly about his struggles with depression.
Rudy Gay also used social media to say goodbye to the Spurs and the city after signing a two-year $12.2 million deal with the Utah Jazz.
Gay, 34, joined the Jazz after spending the last four season with the Spurs. He averaged nearly 12.0 points and 6.0 rebounds while wearing Silver & Black.
“Man, what a ride,” Gay wrote via Instagram. “Shout out to my Spurs family and to the city of San Antonio. The past years have been an unforgettable journey & I enjoyed every moment. Thank you to everyone who’s been part of it. Excited for what’s next!”