When I received an invitation to read Above the Noise, I wasn’t sure I was that interested in it. I’m so glad I put aside my hesitation and read DeMar DeRoza’s life journey.

DeMar grew up in Compton during the height of gang wars, his childhood tinged red with the blood of slayed friends and family. For some reason, the gang lifestyle never appealed to DeMar. Instead, DeMar had a single-minded focus on basketball, which became the emotional, physical and literal path to escape. When I read stories like DeMar’s, I am struck by how hard some people’s lives are… and how easy mine was. DeMar’s dedication and work ethic, combined with natural athletic ability and rigorous coaching by his father, set him up to be successful.

And yet, one of the main themes of Above the Noise is that success isn’t a guarantee of serenity, happiness or ease. DeMar details his path to recognizing anxiety and depression, and his decisions to take that discovery public. When DeMar made his first choice to share, he didn’t realize he’d become a figurehead, but when that happened, he didn’t shy away from the attention. Instead, DeMar leaned in (as he does with everything he’s passionate about), and embraced his new role as an advocate for mental health.

Overall, I finished this book by DeMar as so much more than athlete (although his athletic feats are incredible and super fun to read about). Highly recommended. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Favorite quote:
“‘The difference between sadness and depression, Carrey explains in the interview, is that sadness is the result of things that happen to you. “Depression,” on the other hand, he said, “is your body saying ‘Fuck you, I don’t want to be this character anymore.’ ”

Thank you net gallery for a copy of this book. I appreciate being able to read about the struggles and joys the author shared. Thank you for having the courage to say that is ok to say you are not ok. I would definitely recommend.

As a basketball fan, I know DeRozan as a player, but did not know anything about his background. This made me respect him more as a person and appreciate his openness and honesty.

It's rare that an athlete opens up about his mental health struggles. Especially an athlete of color. This was an important book for that reason.

I felt like the book could have had more insights into how DeRozan's revelation changed the dialog around mental health. He did a great job describing the circumstances that caused him to tweet about his depression. But it felt like the post-tweet reactions were glossed over.

There were also times I felt like important things were glossed over. One example is that DeRozan had a child out of wedlock while still trying to mend the relationship with his other kids' mother. That had to have had an impact on his family. But again, it felt like he glossed over the situation. I understand that he's still trying to navigate the situation and doesn't want to say the wrong thing. But from a narrative perspective, it was unsatisfying.

These are small nitpicks of an immensely enjoyable read. I recommend this for all.

DeMar DeRozan's Above the Noise is more than just a sports memoir; it's a candid and heartfelt exploration of mental health, family, and the relentless pursuit of greatness. DeRozan's willingness to share his struggles with depression and anxiety is both courageous and inspiring.

What struck me most about the book was DeMar's authenticity. He doesn't shy away from discussing the darker side of his life, including the challenges he faced growing up in Compton and the pressures of being a professional athlete. His honest and vulnerable storytelling allows readers to connect with him on a deeper level.

One of the book's strengths is its ability to balance personal reflection with insightful commentary on the NBA and the broader sports world. DeMar's observations on the league's culture, the impact of social media, and the importance of mental health are both thought-provoking and timely.

While the book primarily focuses on DeMar's personal journey, it also offers valuable lessons for anyone who has ever struggled with adversity. His resilience, determination, and unwavering belief in himself serve as an inspiration to all.

Above the Noise is a must-read for any fan of DeMar DeRozan or anyone interested in sports, mental health, or overcoming adversity. It's a powerful reminder that even the strongest among us can experience moments of vulnerability and that it's okay to ask for help.

Thanks, NetGalley! I really appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book.

DeRozan is a role model for anyone working to better themselves. He sets a great example of someone who works through issues rather than complain about them.

When NBA star DeMar DeRozan made a simple tweet to state that he wasn’t okay, no one expected the outpouring of not only support but also the attention that it would lead to the mental health of athletes. While that was probably the best part of his memoir, it is one of the better sports memoirs I have read and one that every basketball fan will want to add to their library.

The format of the book isn’t much different than any other sports memoir – stories about his childhood, who helped push him into the athlete he became, his successes and failures that he endured along the way to where he is now. What made this one stand out from others to me was his refreshing humility. He was raised in Compton and frequently mentions the hard day-to-day life in that section of Los Angeles. He never forgets his roots when he is now living a much different lifestyle and it’s clear from the writing that this isn’t just being told to sound good – he truly does care for that community.

DeRozan is also frank about his personal relationships, whether with teammates, coaches or his wife and children. He is honest about the struggles in his marriage and while his commitment to stay together with her may come across as “staying together for the children,” it is clear that part of his process of dealing with his mental health matters includes ensuring his relationships are strong as well.

And yes, there is plenty of basketball in the book. It was clear that despite changing teams twice (from Toronto to San Antonio to Chicago) when he did not want to leave either time, he was able to quickly adjust and not only be welcomed, but welcomed being in a new city with new teammates despite missing his family. He talks about his all-star seasons in Toronto, his relationship with coach Greg Popovich with the Spurs and his new role with the Bulls in helping them regain some of the glory they had in the days of Michael Jordan.

It's the feeling of refreshing honesty that made this book a very good read and one that I completed fairly quickly. Hopefully this book will not only be a good one for basketball fans, but also for anyone who is dealing with mental health issues. Reading about DeMar’s story is something that hopefully will be able to help others dealing with similar issues.

I wish to thank Harmony Publishing for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

One of the best books released by an NBA player in recent memory when looking at the story merging both his basketball career and real life struggles. DeMar DeRozan became one of my favorites by following his journey, and it was cool seeing him share more of his life's journey. It's not a "perfectly written" book but that makes it better. You feel a real person talking about their fears, struggles, doubts, and everything challenging that made their path to greatness a difficult one.

On February 17, 2018, NBA Star DeMar DeRozan typed out this tweet and then logged off:

“This depression get the best of me.”

When he looked at his phone the next day, he was flooded with messages and missed calls from friends and family, other players expressing concern…and from the broader public communicating empathy and sharing their own experiences.

By publicly sharing what he was feeling, DeRozan had helped open up the conversation about mental health for athletes, for men, for Black men, and for everyone else. Since then, he’s continued speaking about mental health in many forums such as the 2021 Apple TV series hosted by Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry “The Me You Can’t See”.

I was excited to get a chance to read DeRozan’s memoir Above the Noise before it was released. As a former Toronto Raptor, I was somewhat familiar with his story but this book gives a much deeper look into his childhood and youth growing up in Compton, how the stresses of that environment continue to affect him to this day, and how family and friends have been a support for him through his life.

My favourite parts of the book were those in which DeRozan talks about his youth and about the important role his parents played in helping him to achieve his dreams despite the many challenges in his way. DeRozan also gives readers insights into how the professional basketball world works.

It was well known amongst Toronto basketball fans that DeRozan loved this city and wanted to be here. That’s notable because we often hear that NBA stars generally don’t want to find themselves traded to the one non-US team in the league. But DeRozan did. He was committed to the Raptors and he wanted to help the team achieve success. Early in his career when the team was really struggling (2010), DeRozan had tweeted, “Don’t worry. I got us…” And he did and the team began to improve. He made a home and began his family here. He, and Toronto fans, began to dream big.

And then, six months after he’d sent that tweet about depression, DeRozan suddenly found himself traded to San Antonio in a deal that brought superstar Kawhi Leonard to Toronto, a trade which contributed greatly to Toronto winning the NBA championship that very next year.

By the time you get to this part of DeRozan’s story, you fully understand how deeply this hurt. As a sports fan, there can be a tendency to forget that athletes are humans first; DeRozan’s memoir makes this abundantly clear.

I usually find memoirs particularly interesting and Above the Noise was no exception. DeRozan’s story is compelling and his impact beyond the basketball court is important.

Title: Above the Noise: My Story of Chasing Calm
Author: DeMar DeRozan
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: September 10, 2024

I received a complimentary eARC from Rodale Inc. via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Humbling • Straightforward • Empathetic

📖 S Y N O P S I S

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.

💭 T H O U G H T S

Given the Toronto Raptors are Canadian's only (active) team in the NBA, I am well aware of who DeMar DeRozan is and have followed his NBA journey over the years. When I heard he was publishing a memoir I knew that I would want to read it, not only because I enjoy sports memoirs, but also the mental advocacy aspect.

Above the Noise is a straightforward memoir where I learned quite a bit about DeRozan's childhood growing up in Compton, his time playing for the Toronto Raptors, his departure from Toronto, and parts of his personal life. The writing style is accessible and follows a linear timeline for the most part.

While I enjoyed learning about his part, I was most interested in the mental health element, and while he does talk about it, I was hoping it would be the central focus. There was room for more here and I wish he'd been willing to go there. DeMar adds his voice to growing mental advocacy landscape discussing the difficult process of finding the right resources.

Above the Noise gives a glimpse into the life of a famous NBA player's life and shows how mental illness doesn't discriminate. I am grateful DeMar is willing to tell his story and hope that other people will see that it's okay to not be okay and that it is so important to talk about it. To get the help needed. That governments need to take mental health a priority. There isn't enough said about the mental turmoil such a grueling lifestyle can have and I am glad that more and more athletes are telling their stories. Hopefully, these stories will help destigmatize mental illness.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• sports memoirs
• basketball
• mental health advocacy

⚠️ CW: cursing, death, death of parent, gang violence, infidelity, mental illness, depression, racism, poverty,

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"There's a lot of comfort to be found when you start to understand more about yourself."

This introspective memoir illustrates DeMar’s upbringing in Compton, pushing himself to make it to the league, and his battles with depression which led to him being a mental health advocate.

DeMar and I are somewhat close in age so I’ve been able to see his rise to becoming the six-time NBA ALL-Star. My mom is also a Compton native and Compton High alum so of course she always rooted for his success. By reading this book, I feel like DeMar is now my homie. His vulnerability and honesty is something that is rarely displayed by our favorite athletes. The insight helps you to better understand who DeMar is off the court, which makes you want to root for him even more.

I have a meager understanding of most sports and expected to be lost in what turns out to be a touching memoir about a young boy who grew up amid gang warfare but achieved his dreams despite this.

DeMar DeRozan was raised in Compton, one of the most dangerous and notorious communities near LA. It is rife with poverty, substance abuse, gang warfare, and a stream of senseless murders. While this took a mental toll on young DeMar, who spent his nights listening to gunshots, sirens, and helicopter rotors, his family support made all the difference. His parents and grandmother protected him from gang life and ensured the extended family, many of whom were in the Crips gang, did so as well. His parents invested in him and put in the time to help him become the man he is today.

DeMar struggled with anger and frustration when younger but learned to channel this into hard work on the courts. He achieved his dream and has excelled in his chosen sport, but that does not undo the pain of being raised among violence and death. He took a step that must have felt as alien as the world he discovered when he left Compton: he went public with his mental health struggles and has been a light to many since that day. In an interview, DeMar says it was important to recognize the impact of holding so much in, to break the stigma of admitting to vulnerability, which everyone feels.

This is the most fascinating, captivating, and ultimately heartwarming memoir I have read. I highly recommend this to any reader, even if you know nothing about basketball.

Many thanks to Rodale Books and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this book early for a honest review. As a NBA fan and someone who watched the majority of the Chicago Bulls games over the years, I was interested in learning even more about DeMar. He has an incredibly supportive family and has always used basketball to help him through challenges in life. He grew up mainly as an only child (his dad had 2 older kids, but with the age difference, they weren't in the family home) but basketball was his life and what helped him avoid gangs. His work ethic helped him go to USC for a year and then get drafted in the NBA. He was excited to be drafted by the Toronto Raptors and gave his all to the team and city before being blindsided when they traded him to San Antonio (and then Raptors go on to win the NBA Championship right after that--definitely shows the "business" side of the NBA.
I also enjoyed reading about his long-time friendship with former Raptors teammate, Kyle Lowry. Other highlights: the way Coach Pop and the Spurs organization was there for hi during his rough spots with his dad's health and passing, his openness about his depression (and admitting he hasn't stayed in therapy regularly as he tends to stop after working on one aspect), his devotion to his family, and how important his kids are to him.
The story about his daughter at the Bulls-Raptors game was fun to relive. She begged to attend the game (it would involve her missing school) and everytime a Raptors player shot a free throw, she'd shriek at the top of her lungs! I was watching the game on tv, and the first time it happened, thought nothing of it. Then they showed his daughter in the crowd (sitting underneath basket) and showed her screaming. Her tactics worked and the Raptors only made 50% of their free throws and lost game. The funny thing is that DeMar didn't know she was doing this until after the game when his teammates told him!
I feel like his basketball skills maybe aren't appreciated enough. His time with the Bulls provided many game winners and the team winning some games that maybe they shouldn't have on paper.

4.5 Stars

Above the Noise, a memoir about DeMar DeRozan's upbringing and life is truly a remarkable story. He does an incredible job of describing important moments from his life and how they led to important decisions and how they influenced him. He does an amazing job of being able to captivate the reader's attention from the jump and while I was reading, it was as if I was there those moments with how vividly he described them.

As a public figure and sports athlete, DeRozan describes important moments in his life and how they affected him emotionally, physically and mentally. I think he truly did a magnificent piece with the way he mixed the importance of mental health and real life struggles, and dismantling the fact that mental health is real and can affect a person's life in many ways.

A great memoir with a focus on men’s mental health. I’ve never heard of him before but that topic made me interested to read it. The book starts out with his early life losing family, friends, and others that he was close with. The second half is focused on his mental health struggles, his relationship, and being away from family while he is on the road.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me, would have been 5 had he not thrown in way too much about COVID and George Floyd.

DeMar DeRozan's memoir shares a vulnerability with readers that goes beyond what many know from his Twitter account. He credits his father with his young success and ability to stay out of trouble with gangs. DeRozan discusses his early AAU success, search for the right college, and illustrious NBA career while weaving in personal anecdotes, memories and dreams. Most poignantly, in the second half of the text, he shares openly his struggles with depression and anxiety. An admirable role model for young adults; I would recommend this to NBA fans and those just looking for a good life story.

This is a 5 star book for me without a question. I have followed Demar’s career from when he played in Toronto and even closer since he played in Chicago as I am a Bulls fan. This really showed me a lot about him as a person and I applaud him for talking about things that a lot of athletes stay away from and that is struggles with Mental Health. He really pulls back the curtain and shows everyone that just because he is a professional athlete and his bank account may be large he can still struggle with some of the same things that everyone else does. It’s okay to talk about it. #ItsOkToNotBeOk #AboveTheNoise #NetGalley

Sometimes books arrive in your life in the exact right moment. That was my experience with Above the Noise. I am impressed by (and thankful for) his honesty in speaking about how he handled grief and stress, including the things he would do differently.

Like most memoirs, DeMar DeRozan spends the early sections of the book sharing moments from his childhood that shaped his foundation. He was honest and in some instances unfiltered. He shares such clear details that you feel like he is personally sharing his story directly with you, not a stranger reading a book.

He does not just talk about his triumphs and challenges as an NBA player, but he transparently shares the impact of those moments on the totality of his life.

In the later chapters, he goes into detail about how he became one of the faces of the movement to better understand (and prioritize!) mental health - something that rarely was discussed publicly in the Black community at the time. While it was not initially his intention to become such a huge part of the movement, the way that he leaned into this opportunity is impressive. He has done so much to help others by sharing his experience and encouraging others to take great care of themselves.

As a basketball fan, I was very much aware of DeMar but after reading his story in his words, I will be very vested in watching him in this upcoming year and cheering for success - except when he is playing against my home team, of course!

I am a basketball fan, but prior to this, I wasn't super familiar with DeMar DeRozan. Going into this memoir I wasn't sure to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. He discusses his life growing up, his basketball career, and his mental health journey in this memoir is mental health. I can imagine the struggle of facing his battles as a professional athlete so it was really endearing to read his story and I really empathized a lot. He is very vulnerable, which can be hard when discussing this topic. For some people you would probably know what he was going through, so I loved that he shared his story.

First and foremost, thank you to Rodale, Inc. and NetGalley for inviting me to read this book as an eARC for an honest review!

When I got invited to read this book, I was immediately interested. First, DeMar DeRozan is an incredible player, and hearing about his life through his own eyes was inevitably going to be interesting. Second, knowing the focus on mental health, I was very excited. It is not as common of an occurrence for athletes to speak so openly about their mental health, especially when it comes to something like depression. Because of this, I was hoping for a strong book. 'Above the Noise' delivered in every way

The book takes the reader through DeRozan's life in a semi-linear fashion, at times flashing back or forward to underscore certain points or provide further context. It generally follows a clear timeline through his life, however. This makes it easy to keep track of how he personally was progressing through the events surrounding him, how his struggles came about, and where they came from. DeRozan provides insight into how growing up in a place like Compton predisposes many people to a variety of issues, all of which are amplified by the chaos of the environment. However, he also provides insight into the importance of protective factors. Understanding where and how he grew up provides a clear context for his struggles with depression and mental health, and can likely help so many others put pieces together like he has. And speaking as myself and as a therapist, one of the most important things about this book is that it can be helpful, especially just to tell people that they're not alone.