DeMar DeRozan says he's still friends with Drake despite being in Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us' video

The historic battle between Drake and Kendrick Lamar consisted of some high-level lyricism, mudslinging, and heated debates among their fans. It also included celebrity names being tossed around, whether it was Lamar name-dropping Serena Williams in "Not Like Us," or Drake mentioning Chris Brown in "Family Matters."

Another person named in the battle is NBA star DeMar DeRozan, who started his professional career with the Toronto Raptors before playing for the San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls. He now plays for the Sacramento Kings.

In "Not Like Us," Lamar mentioned DeRozan being traded by the Raptors and used the line to shade Drake. "I'm glad DeRoz' came home, y'all didn't deserve him neither," he rapped.

DeRozan subsequently appeared in Lamar's music video for the song and was on stage with him at his Juneteenth "Pop Out" concert when he performed the track several times.

"I'm glad DeRoz' came home, y'all didn't deserve him neither. "

- Kendrick Lamar

Just like Lamar, DeRozan is a native of Compton, California, and they reportedly have a close relationship. Meanwhile, Drake has been the Raptors' global ambassador since 2013, and he's also been friends with DeRozan. So, a question that many were probably asking themselves is whether the hoop player is still friends with Drake after siding with Lamar.

Well, DeRozan spoke about being a part of the battle in a newly released interview with The Sacramento Bee and mentioned Drake. Before that, however, he spoke about "Not Like Us" and the Pop Out show and what it means to the city of Los Angeles.

DeRozan said 'Not Like Us' is bigger than Drake

“It was fun to be a part of [‘Not Like Us],” DeRozan told the publication. “For that moment, it was so much bigger than what people look at it as a beef between [Lamar] and Drake. It brought our whole city together in a different type of light where there wasn’t no issues, no violence. Everybody was coming together in a peaceful manner and that was the beauty out of those moments.”

For those that missed it, Lamar brought several up-and-coming rappers to the stage at the concert, many of them from rival Los Angeles gangs. Everyone posed for a group photo at the end of the concert as well, showing unity among themselves and suspending past grudges, at least temporarily.

"It brought our whole city together. "

- DeMar DeRozan

So, it's clear that DeRozan being a native of Southern California, and growing up around gang culture, considered "Not Like Us" a victory for L.A., not just Lamar. He also talked about the close relationship between himself and the pgLang rapper, while also saying they've always been there for each other.

“When he did the song, he asked me to be a part of it,” DeRozan explained, using the word "family" to describe his relationship with Lamar. “Whatever it is he’s doing, I’m going to be a part of it without a thought. That’s kind of always been our relationship."

DeRozan updates his friendship with Drake

The way DeRozan sees it, the battle hasn't changed his relationship with Drake at all. He also said that people made the battle into something bigger than it was, which was two artists having a lyrical duel for entertainment purposes.

“Drake’s still my man, none of it changed,” DeRozan clarified. “It’s so easy to get overlooked and look at it for what it looks like, but at the end of the day it’s music, entertainment. Two of the biggest rappers in the world went at it from a competitive standpoint, and they battled it out.”

But the Sacramento Kings player isn't the only NBA star to be associated with the battle, so was Los Angeles-area native Russell Westbrook, who was also on stage at the Pop Out show. Plus, LeBron James was mentioned a lot, since he too was at the concert and was seen dancing to "Not Like Us" with his wife Savannah James in May.

James and Drake were also friends before the battle, which may still be the case. But regardless, some on social media said they're convinced that James took Lamar's side. On top of that, James was heard saying that he loves "Not Like Us" while warming up with Team USA earlier this month.

As for DeRozan, Drake has yet to comment on the status of their friendship. Although, it's possible they've spoken behind the scenes at some point, either before DeRozan was in the "Not Like Us" video or afterward.