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Above the Noise

My Story of Chasing Calm

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
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.
“DeMar DeRozan’s story is one of adaptability, courage, and love. The persistent effort on his part to rise above is compelling and important.”—Coach Gregg Popovich, from the foreword

 
“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.”
DeMar DeRozan, six-time NBA All-Star, 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 breaking the stigma of speaking out, he added a new, seldom-heard voice to the mental health dialogue: 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—living in poverty, losing friends to gang violence. In worn-out school gyms and community centers, fueled by hunger and a desire to prove himself, he started to rise, but doubts followed. In Above the Noise, DeRozan opens up about 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, the pressure of playing with veteran athletes as a twenty-year-old rookie, and the pain of losing role models.
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. It will encourage anyone who has ever felt alone in their struggles and inspire people to rise above the noise and speak their truth.
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    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 29, 2024
      NBA star DeRozan details his struggles with anger and depression in this vulnerable account. DeRozan grew up in 1990s Compton, Calif., where the funerals of slain friends and family members he frequently attended were often disrupted by gunfire. Pushed to excel by his father, DeRozan channeled his rage and sorrow into basketball. After playing one season at USC, he was selected by the Toronto Raptors in the 2009 draft. Despite his on-court achievements, he remained plagued by the “cycle of pain, fear, and forging onward” that he’d been stuck in since childhood. In 2018, he fired off a tweet about depression that received significant media attention, with responses pouring in from other athletes, including fellow NBA player Kevin Love, who credited DeRozan’s openness with helping him open up about his own anxiety and depression (“He saved my life, in a way”). Throughout this chronicle of his ups and downs, including his devastation at being traded by the Raptors in 2018, DeRozan remains a thoughtful and endearing narrator, and his central insight—that the roar of his fans will never make up for unprocessed trauma—resonates. Readers will be inspired. Agent: Rick Broadhead, Rick Broadhead & Assoc.

    • Library Journal

      December 6, 2024

      Six-time NBA All-Star DeRozan began his basketball life in the 1990s growing up in Compton, CA, with a solid, loving family unit in an community afflicted by gang violence. Basketball gripped DeRozan from age four, and his father was especially vital in keeping him grounded through basketball while his mother, a well-respected pillar in the community, ensured DeRozan was never recruited for gang membership. With fierce loyalty to his community, DeRozan attended high school and college close to home despite opportunities to attend elite basketball schools. After one year at the University of Southern California, he entered the 2009 NBA draft and landed with the Toronto Raptors. He later also played for the San Antonio Spurs, the Chicago Bulls, and the Sacramento Kings. Just before the 2018 NBA All-Star game, DeRozan launched his mental-health awareness advocacy for professional athletes when his pent-up emotions over his life's traumas and losses led him to post online about his depression. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich wrote this memoir's foreword, which is narrated by actor John Patrick Walsh, and Aaron Goodson convincingly personifies DeRozan in his performance of this genuine, engaging work (written with Dave Zarum). VERDICT This winning audio will appeal to sports fans and listeners curious about the mental health journeys of athletes.--Kym Goering

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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