Ex-Toronto Raptor DeMar DeRozan claps back at claim teams were better without him

When you're a professional basketball star playing in front of thousands of fans every other night, not everyone is going to be a fan of your game.

Former Toronto Raptors star DeMar DeRozan is having a difficult season with the last‑place Sacramento Kings, and a podcaster has called him out for inefficiency, claiming his teams have historically performed better without him on the court.

"DeMar DeRozan only needs to average 18 PPG for another 105 games to surpass Shaquille O'Neal in career points and enter the all-time top 10 list. I find this deeply disturbing," Nerd Sesh podcast host Carson Breber wrote on X Thursday.

DeMar DeRozan only needs to average 18 PPG for another 105 games to surpass Shaq in career points and enter the all-time Top 10

I find this deeply disturbing — Carson Breber (@Carsobi) April 9, 2026

 

Within hours, DeRozan responded to the post.

"Disturbing!? F*** that mean? Who the hell is you to have an opinion on somebody's career? Clown!"

(For context, DeRozan currently ranks 16th on the NBA's all-time scoring list with 26,711 career points. O'Neal sits 10th with 28,569 points and four NBA championship rings.)

Disturbing!? Fuck that mean? Who the hell is you to have an opinion on somebody career. Clown!

— DeMar DeRozan (@DeMar_DeRozan) April 9, 2026

Breber replied, clarifying his comments.

"I think it's weird that your teams have been better with you off the court for your entire career, and you are probably going to end up with more career points than Shaq. That's what it means."

DeRozan fired back again, calling the Arizona-based podcast host a "dweeb" and criticizing him for hiding behind a computer.

Breber then shared an image of DeRozan's career on-court and off-court plus/minus numbers, which he claimed showed that DeRozan's teams were more efficient when he was off the NBA floor.

"I wasn't even trying to hate, but come on man," said Breber.

I wasn't even trying to hate but come on man pic.twitter.com/91DNEyE6pI

— Carson Breber (@Carsobi) April 9, 2026

DeRozan was drafted by Toronto in 2009 and played nine seasons with the team before being dealt in a blockbuster deal following the 2017-2018 season to San Antonio for Kawhi Leonard.

DeRozan later described the trade as "blindsiding" and "deeply painful," saying he felt the organization didn't give him the respect he had earned.

In hindsight, the trade proved successful for Toronto, with the Raptors winning their first NBA championship in 2019.

DeMar DeRozan played nine seasons with the Toronto Raptors and still leads the franchise in all-time points scored, with 13,296. (Ed Szczepanski/Imagn Images)

Since leaving Toronto in 2018, DeRozan has only reached the playoffs twice (2019 and 2022), losing in the first round both times.

This isn't the first time DeRozan has clapped back at criticism on social media. In 2023, he replied to a Bulls fan who criticized his defence by posting a clip of himself making a late-game stop and tweeting, "Say it again!"

In 2018, he also fired comments toward American sports personality Skip Bayless, who criticized his inability to win in the playoffs. DeRozan responded on social media, saying critics talk as if they know the game despite never having played in the NBA.