DeMar DeRozan uses his off-hand. (USATSI)
DeMar DeRozan uses his off-hand. (USATSI)

TORONTO -- Three decades ago, NC State big man Charles Shackleford confidently told reporters he was equally proficient with both hands. "Left hand, right hand, it doesn't matter," he said. "I'm amphibious." The infamous quote was referenced by Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey on Tuesday afternoon, but he attributed it to an old Kentucky coach.

The reason this came up? Raptors swingman DeMar DeRozan spent much of his summer trying to improve his off-hand, and that didn't just mean sessions with a dribbling specialist. DeRozan told the National Post in July that he was eating and writing with his left hand, and he went into more detail after Toronto's first day of training camp.

"I was doing that, trying to be more ambidextrous, somewhat," DeRozan said. "Just trying to get more comfortable with my off-hand, finishing more with my off-hand, doing a lot of little things that probably go unnoticed. Just trying to find new challenges, honestly, within myself, to find something to get better at."

Instead of picking up a bag with his right hand, he'd use his left. When teaching his one-year-old daughter the alphabet, he wrote each letter with his left hand.

"I did my ABCs every day," DeRozan said.

The whole alphabet?

"Yeah, I was showing my daughter. It looked like my daughter's writing."

DeRozan said the two of them were "neck-and-neck" when it came to legibility.  

Once a raw athlete who wasn't asked to do much with the ball in his hands, picturing his messy scribbling provides a window into how he's evolved into an All-Star. The hope is that he'll be a better creator in his sixth season, and he said that he tried to learn from Kyrie Irving during his time with Team USA.

DeRozan made major progress as a pick-and-roll player last year, and Casey called his passing "off the charts." His strengths will remain his strengths, but it's become clear in Toronto that DeRozan is defined by his dedication to becoming a complete player.  

"'Ambidextrous,' that's a pretty tough word for an old Kentucky boy," Casey said. "But he's doing a much better job. Make the play, make the simple play. If it calls for your left hand, great. If not, do what you do. DeMar has really worked hard."