Last week, we took a look at some of the best commercials in the team’s history. This time around, we dive into something that many of the folks here in RaptorLand may have missed. Here we go, #NorthernNostalgia week five.
No typo in the title. This was really a thing. Percy “Master P” Miller was one of many legends to have donned a Toronto Raptors uniform. The crazy thing is that he did this all while having his rap career to fall back on. P was absolutely living the dream… for five games in October during the preseason for the 1999-2000 campaign. Unfortunately, he failed to make the team’s final roster for the season, as he only posted 2.6 ppg and 0.8 rpg in 4.6 minutes of playing time per outing. It was his second time coming up short in the pros, as he had an unsuccessful tryout for the Charlotte Hornets in the previous preseason. At the end of October 1999, it seemed like Miller’s hoop dreams had come to an end.
The story doesn’t conclude there though. It’s quite possible (okay, not really, but keep reading) that Master P wanted to repay the city of Toronto for its northern hospitality during his short stint on the team. How? By taking a 15-16 year old DeMar DeRozan under his wing. I know this sounds absolutely asinine, but watch this video:
Pause the video at the 0:02 mark. The tall male in the middle of the quick camera cut is none other than today’s star Raptors swingman, DeMar DeRozan. His cameo is seen throughout the clip. Did Miller and DeRozan have ties to one another before the filming of the “Cookie Money” music video? Maybe, but we’re not sure how far they stretch back. This video was filmed in 2005 as a single for Master P’s album Living Legend: Certified D-Boy— four years before the kid from Compton was selected by Toronto in the 2009 NBA Draft.
As we all know, DeRozan went on to play basketball at the University of Southern California for his one year collegiate career. However, many are unaware that one of DeMar’s teammates on the Trojans was none other than the 5’11” point guard from Beverley Hills High School, Percy Miller, Jr.— Master P’s son, better known as “Lil’ Romeo”.
The above is a photo of the trio on November 19th, 2007 when Miller, Jr. & DeRozan signed their letters of intent to play for USC during the following year. Although Lil’ Romeo only played 19 minutes for the Trojans over a span of two years at the school, DeRozan performed well enough during his freshman year to be selected as a top-10 pick in his jump to the pros. Like his father, Romeo was quite successful in other regards such as music and acting, so falling short in his basketball endeavors was not the end of the road.
We’re not sure how the friendship has continued (if at all) since 2009, but one thing is certain— you simply can’t make this stuff up. DeRozan has become a star in the NBA, playing for the team the Master P was once fighting to play for. Romeo dropped the “Lil'”, and went on to dance with the stars in 2011… seriously. It’s crazy how these things happen. Maybe Master P is living his basketball dreams vicariously through DeMar DeRozan now. The universe just works that way sometimes.
Stay tuned for another edition of #NorthernNostalgia next week. Use the hashtag on Facebook and Twitter to share your Raptor memories!
1 thought on “#NorthernNostalgia week five: The Master P conspiracy”
LMFAO