DeMar DeRozan reveals his philosophy on how to treat young players

The Sacramento Kings are very excited about their prized free agent addition, DeMar DeRozan. A lot of this is because of his pedigree as a scorer, but some of it also has to do with his reputation as a locker room presence.

In his decade and a half as an NBA player, DeRozan has established himself as one of the most well-loved players in the association. But what does DeRozan do that makes him such a strong leader?

DeMar DeRozan explains his philosophy for mentoring young players

Last week, DeRozan appeared on an episode of The Underground Lounge (with Lou Williams and Spank Horton). There, he revealed his philosophy for mentoring young players, which is a big part of being a great leader in sports. You can see what he said in this tweet from Brenden Nunes:

If you don't feel like watching the video (or are reading this in a place where it would be inappropriate to turn your volume up), here's a quick summary. DeRozan divides his time with youngsters into two categories: on and off the court.

Off the court, DeRozan is more like a big brother than a teammate. He takes them out to dinners when they are on the road, invites them to his home, the whole nine yards. But when they step on the court, like the tweet above reads, he pushes his young teammates "to a breaking point."

Hearing this, it makes sense why people love DeRozan. He gets the balance between basketball and life. Obviously, you play this game to win, and you want to motivate your teammates to be the best versions of themselves. So, you need to push it to that extreme on the floor.

But at the end of the day, basketball is still just a game, and we are all still human beings – no matter how much they may mess up on the court. DeRozan, a strong advocate for mental health, makes sure to treat his teammates like family when they are away from the hardwood.

What does this mean for the Sacramento Kings?

Regardless of how many games the Kings win or lose this year, we know that our young players like Devin Carter, Keon Ellis, Keegan Murray, and Isaiah Crawford are in good hands with DeRozan helping to guide them through the rigors of an NBA season.