DeMar DeRozan has his jersey retired at University of Southern California

It may be the All-Star break, but that doesn’t Spurs swingman/Western Conference snub DeMar DeRozan isn’t staying busy during his extended break. He stopped by his old high school in Compton, CA to watch a a playoff game, which they won in no small part thanks to the motivation he brought.

DeRozan stood against the wall next to Compton’s bench in the second quarter. His presence provided confidence and emotional support to players.

“It just shows if he can do it and come back, we have no reason not to play hard,” (Darrius) Miles said.

“It’s my guy,” (Coach Tony) Thomas said of DeRozan. “He never left. We got each other’s backs for life.”

He then headed to Los Angeles to have his #10 jersey retired at University of Southern California.

“It means a lot to me man. I can’t even say words how much this means to me, for my daughters to be able to witness this.

“I’m just trying to be an inspiration for these kids and everybody coming out of this community to keep moving forward and keep pushing.”

He also threw in a reminder to have fun and keep enjoying life, perhaps in a nod to the recent death of his mentor, Kobe Bryant.

Last but not least, he got a little congratulatory message from Spurs teammate and fellow USC Trojan alum, Chimezie Metu.

It’s a nice reminder of just how far DeRozan’s influence reaches, to the high school and college levels in California, all the way to his teammates in San Antonio.