Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan offered insight into his longevity-focused lifestyle, revealing he has never consumed alcohol at any point in his life.
Speaking on The Timeout podcast hosted by Dwyane Wade, the 15-year veteran explained that his commitment to staying healthy stems from a personal decision to make year-round sacrifices for the sake of his NBA career.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s a year-round thing,” DeRozan said, via HoopsHype. “For me, that goes back to making sacrifices. I don’t go out. I don’t drink. I’ve never had a drink in my life. Not saying there’s anything wrong with it—but me personally—I’ve never had a drink. Not once. None of that.”
DeRozan, 35, played in 77 games for Sacramento this season, averaging 22.2 points while shooting 47.7% from the field. He remains one of the league’s most durable veterans, attributing much of that to strict health habits he adopted early in his career.
“I’ve always looked at it from the standpoint of: my whole goal in hooping was to play as long as I can,” DeRozan said.
He shared how veteran teammates shaped his approach when he entered the league as a teenager in 2009. At the time, he mocked players for icing their knees after games. But he quickly took their advice to heart.
“They’d tell me, ‘Start putting ice on before you need it.’ And I’d be like, ‘All right, f*** it. I’ll do it.’ Nothing was hurting, but I started doing it anyway.”
That mindset evolved into a routine that now includes ice baths, Epsom salts, sleep regulation, and other recovery methods. DeRozan emphasized that he’s constantly seeking new ways to protect his body and extend his playing career.
“It became a routine, and eventually it turned into a necessity,” he said. “It led me down this tunnel of: what else can I do to prolong what I want to do?”
The six-time All-Star has played over 1,100 games across five teams and has never suffered a major injury. He credited his health record to being “a student” of his own body.
“I’ve been lucky, knock on wood, to not have any major injuries. But that’s because I take care of myself,” he said. “It’s never-ending. Even now, I ask trainers, ‘What remedies you got that actually work?’”
The 2024–25 season was DeRozan’s first in Sacramento after three years with Chicago. He helped lead the Kings to a 40–42 record and a spot in the Play-In Tournament.
