DeMar DeRozan mourns father's passing in heartfelt Instagram post

“Words won’t serve justice to what you meant to me. Never missed a game, a practice, a opportunity to show me what a great father was,” a mourning DeRozan wrote in the post, which featured a photograph of himself alongside his dad and two young daughters. “You pushed me my whole life to be able to withstand the roughest of times. Never seen you complain nor fold. All I cared about was making you proud. Over the past 3 years I seen you display the ultimate measure of a man fighting to the end. Wish I could tell you thank you one last time. Rest well Big Dog! Love you Dad…”

According to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express News, Frank DeRozan passed away in Los Angeles following “a prolonged illness.”

DeRozan missed two Spurs games earlier this season for personal reasons. He traveled to California to spend time with his ill father and his family before returning for San Antonio’s Jan. 14 game against the Houston Rockets.

DeRozan’s close bond with his father was well known in league circles.