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Above the Noise: My Story of Chasing Calm
From one of the most outspoken and respected NBA athletes comes a groundbreaking and remarkable memoir chronicling a very public struggle with depression, in the hopes that other people will not suffer alone
“As men, and especially Black men, we don’t talk about our mental health enough. We struggle to admit when things aren’t okay, even when it’s obvious to everybody around us. I’ve seen how toxic that can become. I’ve experienced it myself, keeping everything under wraps until your head and heart are full of fire and rage.”
Six-time NBA All-Star DeMar DeRozan has been called a “basketball savant” (ESPN) and “the best closer in the NBA” (GQ). But when he went public with his depression, it sparked a conversation that reached far beyond the court. By speaking out and breaking the stigma of mental illness, he added a new, seldom-heard voice to the mental health that of a successful Black male athlete, openly naming his pain and advocating for others to do the same.
Now it’s time to tell the full story. Born and raised in Compton, DeRozan was no stranger to hardship—he grew up in poverty and lost friends to gang violence. Practising in worn-out school gyms and community centres, fuelled by hunger and a desire to prove himself, he began to rise. But doubts followed. In Above the Noise, DeRozan opens up about both his proudest triumphs and the times he felt so weighed down he couldn’t get out of bed. He reflects on what it took to make a name for himself in a new country after getting drafted by the Toronto Raptors. He recounts the pressure of playing with veteran athletes as a twenty-year-old rookie, and the pain of losing role models. And he reveals what it felt like to be traded away from the team that he wanted to play with for the rest of his career.
From a scared, angry kid to a confident father of five, DeRozan traces his journey to basketball stardom and the forces that honed him into the player—and the slowly healing person—he is today. His memoir will encourage anyone who has ever felt alone in their struggles and inspire people to rise above the noise and speak their truth.
“As men, and especially Black men, we don’t talk about our mental health enough. We struggle to admit when things aren’t okay, even when it’s obvious to everybody around us. I’ve seen how toxic that can become. I’ve experienced it myself, keeping everything under wraps until your head and heart are full of fire and rage.”
Six-time NBA All-Star DeMar DeRozan has been called a “basketball savant” (ESPN) and “the best closer in the NBA” (GQ). But when he went public with his depression, it sparked a conversation that reached far beyond the court. By speaking out and breaking the stigma of mental illness, he added a new, seldom-heard voice to the mental health that of a successful Black male athlete, openly naming his pain and advocating for others to do the same.
Now it’s time to tell the full story. Born and raised in Compton, DeRozan was no stranger to hardship—he grew up in poverty and lost friends to gang violence. Practising in worn-out school gyms and community centres, fuelled by hunger and a desire to prove himself, he began to rise. But doubts followed. In Above the Noise, DeRozan opens up about both his proudest triumphs and the times he felt so weighed down he couldn’t get out of bed. He reflects on what it took to make a name for himself in a new country after getting drafted by the Toronto Raptors. He recounts the pressure of playing with veteran athletes as a twenty-year-old rookie, and the pain of losing role models. And he reveals what it felt like to be traded away from the team that he wanted to play with for the rest of his career.
From a scared, angry kid to a confident father of five, DeRozan traces his journey to basketball stardom and the forces that honed him into the player—and the slowly healing person—he is today. His memoir will encourage anyone who has ever felt alone in their struggles and inspire people to rise above the noise and speak their truth.
241 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 10, 2024
3 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 16, 2024
Great book but wrong author to be an advocate for mental health... Knowing DeMar fairly well and all of his dirty secrets after talking to his 'entourage' for quite some time, I just don't understand why he is so open about his son all of a sudden after hiding him for the longest and faking to be a Girl Dad all along. And I surely don't understand how the media let him get away with it. This reminds me of his new nemesis Drake who was hiding a son as well just for him to show off the little boy like a damn trophy now... If DeMar wants to be like that then he needs to talk about the boy's homewrecking mother Shavonti since the heffer is his futur wife according to Tristan Thompson's babymama Jordan Craig. Shavonti lived with him in SA, Chicago and now Sacramento (the real reason why he be missing time with his daughters not the NBA schedule or whatever excuses he got) instead of acting like she barely exists and talking about his ex Kiara who is now a sidepiece after being a whole fiancee for his public image, no matter the lies about her in this book she is NOT who he says she is he's been disrespecting her since college days and now keeping her pregnant and using her for his public image this is DISGUSTING and APPALLING no one wants to call him out for his messy ways given the American media loves a messy juicy story like this one here... Normally every popular black man that hides kids and juggles women or cheat like that gets it real bad in the press but not DeMar since he's got MENTAL HEALTH IMMUNITY clearly... Funny how he's been promoting that thing consistently eversince he started treating his sugar babies (Shavonti Henderson, Jordan Craig, etc...) like Royalty. Kinda like to deviate from the real issue here : that he CHEATED ON HIS WOMAN and never took accountability for his messy ghetto behavior off the court. That's why he tweeted what he tweeted back then cause Kiara took the kids and left so dude was only playing the victim saying he was depressed and all, not whatever lies he's been spewing about it this whole time that y'all can't stop believing smh if only somebody would have called him out for being full of it all this time none of this would have happened (the book, the off the court awards, the worldwide sympathy etc..) NOTHING.
And this is why he wrote this book Ladies and Gents, why not monetize something that y'all human beings let him get away with this whole time since it's so easy for him to fake depression and play the victim and have y'all sympathize all along...
And this is why he wrote this book Ladies and Gents, why not monetize something that y'all human beings let him get away with this whole time since it's so easy for him to fake depression and play the victim and have y'all sympathize all along...
May 28, 2024
I got this book from Netgalley so I can read and review it before it’s published.
When I saw this book, I was immediately interested as I knew he had played for the San Antonio Spurs for a few years, and being a Spurs fan, I wanted to learn more about his life before, during, and after the Spurs.
He grew up in Compton, CA. He didn’t get involved with gangs, but he had a lot of people close to him in the gangs. Some of those people died or went to jail, but he persevered and used his time to be a better basketball player.
He played one year at USC, and then was drafted by the Toronto Raptors. He was traded to the Spurs, and a few years later, the Spurs traded him to Chicago. I did enjoy reading about his high school, college, and NBA playing days.
He was very open about his life in Compton, as well as his depression as a professional athlete.
Overall, I enjoyed the book.
February 22, 2025
#7 - 2024. Audiobook. A captivating story of De Rozan’s struggles in a crime invested neighborhood outside L A. and the toll it took on his mental stability. His dependence on basketball to keep going while suffering greatly from depression. His finally “coming out” to tell his story and the strength he gained through those actions. For any NBA fan his detail of his basketball life makes very interesting reading
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews