DeMar DeRozan is about to start his ninth training camp as a Raptor, the most of any player in franchise history. He’s seen dozens and dozens of teammates come and go, yet remains the constant. The Star asked him, on the eve of camp, to offer some advice to his new teammates and explain what it means to be a Raptor. His words:

To my Raptors:

This is the ninth year I’ve reported to training camp as a Raptor, and if there’s one thing I’m really getting used to, it’s this: people underestimate us.

I’m not complaining. It’s okay. I mean, I don’t get why we win 50 games a year, two seasons in a row — go to the conference finals in 2016 — and people still count us out, call us the underdogs, leave us out of the conversation, but I’m okay with it. It means we get to do our own thing, bring our new guys into our fold and teach them about what it means to be a Raptor.

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But first things first. Training camp.

I know I’ve said this before, but my mindset when I’m in the gym in the summer is that those workouts are going to pay off in April and May. I expect my teammates to do the same. Like, I know how hard I work, so how hard did you work? Being prepared, showing up for camp in shape and ready to go is one mark of respect. And respect for each other, for our coaches, for our game is part of what it means to be a Raptor.

Kyle and I are all-stars. Yeah, we’re the faces of the team. But we can’t do it alone. Serge and Jonas are back. I’m looking forward to playing with C.J. We’ve got a lot of young guys who are looking for their chances to do something awesome and that’s cool. Their time will come. But it won’t come alone. We’re in this together. Being a good teammate is another part of what being a Raptor is about.

The fans here in Toronto and across the country have made the Raptors Canada’s team. I mean, there’s not one seat available for our scrimmage in Victoria? That’s crazy. And it’s the same everywhere: Ottawa. Calgary. Vancouver. Halifax. And hey, when you’re in Jurassic Park, we know you’re out there for us. Fans here are looking out for us, not overlooking us. So being a Raptor also means knowing you’re not just representing a city, but a whole country.

And those fans have expectations. I most definitely get that. We have expectations, too. When we’re counted out, we scratch and we claw and we figure out a way to get it done. That’s one of the things I love about our team — we just figure it out. So that’s another part of being a Raptor, too. Figure it out.

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Yeah, last year ended earlier than we wanted. I hated going out the way we did. I told myself then, and I still think this now, that I’ve gotta build on those feelings and remember how I felt — let those memories push me forward this season.

Remember how I said that Kyle and I can’t do it alone? I believe that. I believe that all of us can do it together. So, belief in yourself, your teammates, your goal: that’s really what it means to be a Raptor.

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