標籤: disbelief

Miami Heat guard Norman Powell accomplished another personal milestone after playing in his first All-Star Game on Sunday.

He prepared for Team Worlds in the mini-tournament, losing both of his assignments in the round robin and failing to advance to the finals. In two games, Powell, who has Jamaican heritage, went scoreless against Team Stars before giving up five points, two rebounds and one assist.

No matter the result, it was a memorable evening for Powell, who is enjoying a breakout campaign with the Heat. Starting out as a bench player for the Toronto Raptors in 2015, he has really come a long way.

The 32-year-old marksman also recalled being in disbelief about working with then-Raptors star DeMar DeRozan for the first time at UCLA. after the draft is ready.

“Just being a So Cal (Southern California) kid, knowing everything DeMar did in Compton, watching highlight videos of him when I was in high school, so sharing the court with him, working out with him, playing one-on-one, it was one of those moments,” Powell said in a video posted by The Score.

“After we were done, I called my guys, like, ‘Yeah, I just worked out with DeMar, I just scored on him.’ So that’s probably my first moment of ‘Man, I can’t believe this.'”

Norman Powell couldn’t believe he got a chance to work out with DeMar DeRozan before he was drafted: “I called my guys like ‘I just got to work out with DeMar and I worked on it.’ ❤️

Presented by @TangerineBank pic.twitter.com/mR2sN5RkSF

-TheScore (@theScore) 15 February 2026

Powell fulfilled his childhood dream, becoming teammates with DeRozan for four years before being transferred to the San Antonio Spurs along with Jakob Poeltl and a first-round pick in exchange for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green.

While Powell was sad to see his idol go, Leonard led the Raptors to a championship in 2019.

Now that he and DeRozan, now with the Sacramento Kings, are in different stages of their careers, it’s great to hear Powell talk about their humble beginnings.