The unassuming man walked into the gym without any hint he just agreed to the third largest contract in NBA history two days earlier.

DeMar DeRozan wore basic gym gear, including a T-shirt, shorts and sneakers. He arrived without any entourage to accentuate his importance. Some fans approached DeRozan, shook hands and talked. The interactions mirrored those of familiar friends instead of the usual dynamic between a reluctant celebrity and a star-struck fanbase.

None of this should seem surprising. DeRozan has become an established fixture at the Drew League, a summer pro-am league in South Central Los Angeles he has played for since his junior season at Compton High. The 26-year-old DeRozan may have agreed to a generous five-year deal worth $145 deal million to stay with the Toronto Raptors; yet, those close with DeRozan say he has kept the same humility and allegiance that has made him beloved here as he leaped from a local legend at Compton High and USC into a seven-year NBA star with the Raptors.

“People that agree to that kind of deal usually stay away so they can hang out on vacation for a couple weeks,“ said longtime Drew League commissioner Dino Smiley.

“But DeMar just loves the Drew. He always wants to hang out.”

Even after watching a slate of Drew League games on July 2, DeRozan has not made plans for any exotic vacations. Instead, he has trained with the U.S. Men’s Olympic team this week in Las Vegas before next month’s Games in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.

U.S. men’s Olympic coach Mike Krzyzewski has not finalized DeRozan’s spot in the rotation. Krzyzewski knows enough about DeRozan, though, to call him “a great teammate” and “one of the outstanding players in the league” because of his defensive versatility and driving abilities.

That also explains’ the Lakers’ initial interest in DeRozan as one of their top free-agent targets after netting two NBA All-Star appearances and averaging 18.1 points. The fans that approached DeRozan at the Drew League would have loved that, too. Anyone who believed that reality, however, likely do not know DeRozan well.

Unlike other star free agents that saw too much lint in the Lakers’ glitter, DeRozan’s disinterest in the Lakers had little to do with their recent turbulence.

DeRozan may have grown up idolizing his hometown’s most glamorous franchise. He may have grown up admiring Kobe Bryant, imitating his moves and later dubbing him “the top five greatest player of all time.” Yet, DeRozan refused to compromise the same affection he has for the Raptors after they selected him ninth overall in the 2009 NBA draft.

“When you have an opportunity to go home, that’s something that certainly would cross your mind. But it wasn’t anything,” DeRozan told Southern California News Group. “After I finish playing, I’m pretty sure I’ll live in L.A. But I just wanted to do something special and leave a legacy of my own in Toronto.”

Keeping his promise

The word “loyalty” is tattooed on the left side of DeRozan’s left hand. He has worn a wristband on his right hand with the slogan “We the North,” a reference to the NBA’s lone Canadian team.

“You got to stand for something in life,” DeRozan said. “That’s what I live and stand by.”

So as time ticked closer to free agency, the Toronto Raptors had enough signs that period would not yield an uncomfortable breakup.

“There’s no way he was leaving,” Toronto general manager Masai Ujiri said. “If he were doing other things, he would have told me.”

Instead, DeRozan told the Raptors something else when they arrived at his Los Angeles home shortly after free agency began at 9:01 p.m. PDT on June 30. DeRozan informed Toronto he did not plan on visiting any other teams. He shared the Raptors’ desires to agree to a deal quickly. Nearly 30 minutes later, that wish happened.

“DeMar is one of the most loyal young men I’ve ever worked with,” Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. “He’s a man of substance over flash.”

Casey raved about DeRozan’s improvement in the post, on pick-and-rolls and on defense, while sounding optimistic DeRozan will elevate his career 28.3 percent clip from 3-point range. Casey credited DeRozan for recruiting other players in free agency, though DeRozan sheepishly admitted, “Whoever the guys were, they didn’t come.”

Meanwhile, the well-worn cliché about a players’ humble nature came to life between Ujiri’s laughs as he told a story. After flying to Toronto to receive a physical, DeRozan waited without complaint in signing his contract so Ujiri could maximize cap space in filling out the rest of the roster. A few days later, DeRozan flew to Las Vegas unannounced and had the Raptors’ summer-league team sing “Happy Birthday” to Ujiri.

It might be easy to behave that way after securing a deal that only trails Portland’s Damian Lillard (five years, $151.8 million) and Memphis’ Mike Conley (five years, $153 million). Or after the Raptors finished their most successful season in franchise history after losing in six games to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

As DeRozan spent his first five NBA seasons without a playoff appearance, though, the Raptors never saw his allegiance toward the franchise waver.

“He’s always going to be positive and play hard,” said Toronto guard Kyle Lowry, who’s also a U.S. Olympic teammate. “I can count on him at all times.”

Sticking to his roots

Those at the Drew League and Compton High convey the same feeling about DeRozan.

The reasons first point toward DeRozan’s on-court accomplishments.

As early as 14 years old, DeRozan played pickup games at the Drew League that featured endless matchups against other future NBA players, such as Crossroads’ Baron Davis and Leuzinger’s Dorell Wright. There, DeRozan threw down countless windmill dunks that Smiley argued was “good enough to be in the NBA dunk contest.”

“They gave you that toughness not to have any fear,” DeRozan said. “A grown man is not going to take it easy on you because you’re a kid out there. They’re going to go at you.”

DeRozan then stayed determined in ensuring Compton High would become relevant despite rivals Centennial and Dominguez dominating the local landscape. Those opponents became casualties when DeRozan guided the Tarbabes his junior year to the Huntington Beach Ocean View championship.

“It was motivating , not just because of the rivalries,” said Tony Thomas, DeRozan’s high school coach. “Every one of those schools recruited him and he decided to stay at his home school.”

Countless parents and faculty expressed concern to Thomas that DeRozan would eventually leave. DeRozan frequently heard from friends he should. Instead, DeRozan guided Compton High to two Moore League titles, their first in a decade.

“Nobody can ever tell me what I need to do,” DeRozan said, “or what I should do better than myself.”

DeRozan applied the same thought process when he passed on a chance to become part of the Bruins’ extensive NCAA championship history. Instead, DeRozan chose crosstown rival, USC.

“There was no thought of me going to UCLA. Everybody goes there,” DeRozan said. “I never follow anybody else’s trails. I always do what I want to do and start somewhere where I can lead my own legacy.”

DeRozan’s Pac-10 tournament MVP and all-freshman team selection during his lone season with the Trojans hardly compare to his other hometown connections.

Compton High retired DeRozan’s No. 23 jersey number in 2015. Before and after, DeRozan has spoken to Thomas’ players, paid for uniforms and funded tournament trips. At the Drew League, DeRozan has often played and recruited various teammates, including Houston’s James Harden and Golden State’s Klay Thompson.

Amid that support, those close to DeRozan did not express remorse he will not play in Los Angeles year round. Thomas believed DeRozan would encounter too many “distractions” with hometown friends asking too much of his time. Smiley simply looked at X’s and O’s.

“I didn’t want him to come to the Lakers, not at this point,” Smiley said. “I’d hate for him to suffer and the city be on top of his head.” Instead, DeRozan will experience joy in Toronto, determined to cement another legacy just as he did in his hometown.