Watch DeRozan drop ‘gems’ to USC’s Watkins during offseason workout originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Once a Trojan, always a Trojan.
That certainly rings true for new Kings forward DeMar DeRozan, who spent one season at USC before becoming a six-time NBA All-Star.
Even 15 years later, DeRozan hasn’t forgotten where he came from, as he was seen back on his old stomping grounds sharing some pointers with USC’s rising sophomore guard JuJu Watkins during an offseason workout Thursday.
Kings assistant coach and former NBA player Doug Christie, a defensive specialist, also was a part of the workout.
Watkins later reshared the video on her Instagram story and wrote, “Was dropping gems!!!”
DeRozan, 35, entered the league as a high-flying rim attacker and developed into one of the most skilled midrange scorers in the game.
After stints with the Toronto Raptors, San Antonio Spurs and most recently, the Chicago Bulls, DeRozan joined the Kings this summer via a sign-and-trade deal.
And from one established star to one rising, DeRozan is sharing his expertise with Watkins, who broke the record for most points scored by a freshman in Division I women’s college basketball history with 920 points in the 2023-24 season.
She also broke USC’s single-season scoring record and the school’s record for most 30-point games by a freshman.
Watkins’ game already has a lot of similarities to DeRozan’s. She’s a volume scorer with a 51.3 true shooting percentage. And with mentors like DeRozan, her journey is only up from here.
Both DeRozan and Watkins are primed for big seasons this season with their respective seasons, as they hope to continue repping USC well.
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