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'Above the Noise: My Story of Chasing Calm' Review: DeMar DeRozan chronicles life struggles amid scintillating success in remarkable book

DeMar DeRozan was exhausted. It was Friday evening of the 2018 NBA All-Star Weekend in his hometown, Los Angeles. The 6x NBA All-Star was slated to head out to a party to celebrate what was then his fourth All-Star nod. But all he wanted to do was be alone.

DeMar DeRozan was drained physically and mentally, and by his words, he was "cooked". In the wee hours of the morning around 3 A.M., he pulled out his phone and posted a tweet that shook the NBA world.

“This depression gets the best of me..."

DeRozan fell back into bed, completely unaware that his words had triggered mass reactions, including the NBA wanting to make sure Compton's finest and their own were doing okay. He wasn't, but his one tweet showed the world that the most elite of athletes are normal people.

They are human, they go through struggles, and most importantly, they don't have armor made of vibranium to deal with the intense everyday wear and tear — physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Since his tweet, the Sacramento Kings star has become one of the leading voices in the professional athletes' space to talk about mental health. But his book, 'Above the Noise: My Story of Chasing Calm', is more than just a detailed account of his constant battle with depression. It's about Compton's DeMar DeRozan — the 'Deebo' who used anger as fuel to chart a career that saw him bulldoze competition to make it to the NBA.

Just think of 'Above the Noise' as a worthy successor to his YouTube interview series, 'Dinners with DeMar'. The 45-minute conversations over some grub saw the G/F sit down with some of the best players in the league to discuss mental health.

His book, on the other hand, traces back to his formative years. DeRozan grew up smack dab in the middle of two gangs and saw someone who he knew take a bullet/s — raw and traumatic emotions that were never processed.

Growing up, DeRozan lost family and friends to gun violence and gang wars. They were there shooting the breeze with him one day, only to meet their maker the next. This sort of detachment meant one of the best basketball players in the circuit was forced to cope with loss, and he did it his way.

He went about his business balling out, all the while dealing with the absence of key figures in his life. His father, Frank, gets special mentions throughout the book. His parents were his bedrock of success, and DeRozan makes it clear that family was his escape from all things going wrong around him.


DeMar DeRozan's 'Above the Noise: My Story of Chasing Calm" is touching and inspirational

DeMar DeRozan while playing for the Chicago Bulls - Image via Getty
DeMar DeRozan while playing for the Chicago Bulls - Image via Getty

His depression was the result of all the emotions he swept under the rug, much akin to the bottle-bottle-bang-bang approach. Except, DeMar DeRozan couldn't keep it all in after a point.

Add in all of the weathering of the storm he had to do to get to where he was, and DeRozan was spent after years of channeling the multitude of emotions. The noise was too much.

'Above the Noise' isn't a motivational book or a self-help one by any means. For that matter, it's not even about an athlete preaching. The book is an important part of DeMar DeRozan's life where he explains the tumult he faced and continues to do so. At the time of writing this review, he had let out a string of tweets describing how he felt. It's his story, and he's still living, and embracing it.

There's enough in it to explain how his departure from the Toronto Raptors came about. His ups and downs with the franchise that drafted him, the 'LeBronto' jitters, his relationship with Kyle Lowry, and his interactions with idol Kobe Bryant.

The book sheds light on his time in San Antonio and the Spurs. That Gregg Popovich touches readers with a heartening foreword explains the bond between the two.

It's hard, and perhaps unfair to grade a book such as this. DeRozan's book is a must-read for those who want to understand the psyche of an elite athlete, what makes them tick, and how their win-at-all-costs approach comes at a cost.

It's inspiring to see a man go about his everyday life while fighting a constant battle in his head. DeRozan is thoughtful and plain earnest in his narration, and each chapter of his life weaves in elements from his past and how it shaped him to be the person he is.

'Above the Noise' is worth every minute spent on reading it. It's all about DeMar DeRozan's work in progress to resolving unprocessed trauma. And it makes an excellent read.

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