He also said his father kept him focused on basketball growing up, by making sure he was never late to practices, games, or tournaments, as well as keeping him out of the way of gangs, drugs, and street violence that Compton was and is still notorious for.

He credits his upbringing into a poor family in one of the most dangerous cities in America as the reason he was taught strength and resilience from an early age.

[2] As a senior averaging 29.2 points and 7.9 rebounds per game,[3] DeRozan led Compton High School to a 26–6 record, a second consecutive Moore League championship and the CIF Division IAA Southern Section quarter-finals.

[4] He was also invited to play in the 2008 Jordan Brand Classic at Madison Square Garden and the Nike Hoop Summit, where he scored a team-high 17 points.

[12] He stated that part of the reason he left for the NBA after only one year at USC was to help take better care of his mother, who suffers from lupus.

[13] As the fourth contestant in the 2010 Sprite Slam Dunk Competition, DeRozan lost in the final round against three-time champion Nate Robinson.

DeRozan was selected to compete for the 2011 Sprite Slam Dunk Competition as a replacement for injured guard Brandon Jennings.

DeRozan's 2013–14 season was a breakout year, averaging career-highs of 22.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 30% from beyond the arc, and finished fourth in total free-throws made and seventh in attempts.

[30] On March 30, he scored 26 points in a 105–97 win over the Atlanta Hawks, helping the Raptors record a 50-win season for the first time in franchise history.

DeRozan also moved ahead of Vince Carter for second on the Raptors' career scoring list, trailing only Chris Bosh.

[35] In Game 7 of the series, he scored 28 points in a 116–89 win over the Heat, helping the Raptors advance to the conference finals for the first time in franchise history.

[36] In Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, DeRozan scored 32 points to help the Raptors win 105–99 and tie the series at 2–2.

[46] DeRozan's six field goals against the Los Angeles Lakers on December 2 saw him pass Vince Carter (3,536) for second on the franchise's all-time list; Chris Bosh still led at the time with 3,614.

[53] On February 6, 2017, after missing seven of the team's previous eight games with a sprained ankle, DeRozan shot 50 percent from the field and put up 31 points in a 118–109 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

[60] On April 27, 2017, DeRozan scored 32 points in a 92–89 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, helping the Raptors take their first-round playoff series in six games.

[66] On January 1, 2018, DeRozan scored a franchise-record 52 points to help the Raptors beat the Milwaukee Bucks 131–127 in overtime, matching the team record with their 12th consecutive home victory.

[67] On January 8, 2018, he scored 35 points, including a go-ahead three-point play with 26.1 seconds left in overtime, to lift the Raptors to a 114–113 win over the Brooklyn Nets.

[78] On July 18, 2018, DeRozan was traded, along with Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first round draft pick, to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green.

[95] Although they qualified for the newly implemented play-in tournament, the Spurs suffered a 96–100 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on May 19, eliminating the team from playoff contention for the second straight season.

[99] On October 20, DeRozan made his Bulls debut, putting up 17 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and three steals in a 94–88 win over the Detroit Pistons.

[100] On November 1, he scored a then season-high 37 points on 15-of-20 shooting, along with 7 rebounds, to lead the Bulls to a 128–114 comeback victory over the Boston Celtics, overcoming a 19-point deficit on the road.

[102] On December 31, DeRozan hit a game-winning one-legged three at the buzzer to award the Bulls a 108–106 road victory over the Indiana Pacers, on a night where he recorded 28 points and six assists.

[108] On February 14, DeRozan scored 19 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter and delivered 7 assists in a 120–109 win over his former team, the San Antonio Spurs.

[127] On April 20, during Game 2 of the first round of the playoffs, DeRozan scored a career playoff-high 41 points in a 114–110 win over the reigning champions Milwaukee Bucks.

He also passed Elgin Baylor, Dwyane Wade, and Adrian Dantley to enter 32nd place on the NBA All-Time Scoring List.

[140] DeRozan was a member of the United States national team that won the gold medal in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

DeRozan averaged 6.6 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.9 assists in seven games for Team USA in helping them win the Olympic gold medal.

DeRozan has a daughter born in 2013 named Diar, who gained national attention in 2023 after consistently shrieking during free throws in the Bulls' play-in tournament game against the Toronto Raptors.

DeRozan has reflected on the awareness of his neighborhood nickname: "When people call me that, you have to know me from back home, so when it started carrying over to the NBA, I was just like I don't know how it got to the league.

"[153] Demar appeared in the music video for Kendrick Lamar's song "Not Like Us", a diss track directed at Canadian rapper Drake in July 2024.