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DeRozan hopes to leave legacy in Toronto

Bernard Weil / Toronto Star / Getty

The Toronto Raptors reportedly gave All-Star shooting guard DeMar DeRozan over 139 million reasons to remain with the franchise, but beyond the financial security that came with a near-max deal, the No. 1 reason he stuck around was loyalty - a word that just so happens to be tattooed on his left hand.

An unrestricted free agent after opting out of his contract, the seven-year pro had the option to leave the only professional team he's ever known. His hometown Los Angeles Lakers were one of the favorites to land him should he have decided to head elsewhere.

"When you have an opportunity to go home, that’s something that certainly would cross your mind. But it wasn’t anything," DeRozan told the Los Angeles Daily News' Mark Medina. "After I finish playing, I’m pretty sure I’ll live in L.A. But I just wanted to do something special and leave a legacy of my own in Toronto."

Following the Raptors' Game 6 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals, DeRozan expressed his desire to remain in the 6 to help the team continue to progress toward becoming a true championship contender.

"My mindset has always been Toronto," DeRozan told reporters. "I've always preached it. I was passionate about it when we were losing, when we were terrible. I said I was going to stick through this whole thing, and I want to be that guy who brings this organization to where it is now. I definitely don't want to switch that up after we win."

The USC alumnus' name is sprinkled throughout the franchise history books. He was the leading scorer on a 2015-16 squad that won a record 56 games while also advancing past the opening round in a seven-game series for the first time ever. By the end of next season, DeRozan should stand heads and shoulders above all other Raptors as the all-time leading scorer in the team's history.

Following the four straight losing seasons he endured to begin his career after being drafted ninth overall, DeRozan's now come within two games of an NBA Finals appearance, and his taste for success likely isn't going to go away.

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