His father, Frank, was dealing with several long-term illnesses in Los Angeles. Once a regular at Raptors games from 2009 to 2018, Frank had spent years in and out of hospitals before he died on Feb. 19, 2021. During his tenure in San Antonio, DeRozan would take a private plane in between games or practices to spend time with his father. “I just wanted to sit by him,” DeRozan says. “There were times, I flew home, he didn’t even know I was there. I’d just sit next to his bed for hours.”