DeMar DeRozan of the Sacramento Kings, front left, drives past Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls, front right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beatty)
CHICAGO – DeMar DeRozan raised his arms and waved to the roaring crowd after a video tribute during a timeout.
The six-time All-Star made a triumphant return to action in Chicago on Sunday. He scored 21 points in Sacramento’s 124–119 win over the Bulls, helping the Kings extend their season-high winning streak to seven games.
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“The first time I came here, I tried to give my all to this organization, this city,” DeRozan said. “I think it showed. You can’t fake it when you’re really putting everything you have into representing the Bulls. When I came here, I think it showed. I embraced the Chicago culture – everything. It showed. When people see it, you get a real reaction in return.
READ: NBA: DeMar DeRozan lifts Kings over Heat in 2OT
SAC’s nucleus accomplished this today:
Fox: 26P, 9R, 3A, 4 Three
Sabonis: 22P, 15R, 8A
DeRozan: 21P, 3A
Monk: 18P, 9A, 8RThe Kings won their seventh consecutive win. pic.twitter.com/DAe4HC5YSs
– NBA (@NBA) 12 January 2025
DeRozan spent nine years in Toronto and three years in San Antonio before signing an $85 million contract with the Bulls ahead of the 2021-22 season, so this wasn’t his first homecoming. Although it didn’t quite top their first road game against the Raptors, their return to Chicago was still a hearty affair.
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DeRozan said he had “a new ambition” when he joined the Bulls. He was an All-Star in his first two seasons with the team. He became the first NBA player to hit buzzer-beaters on consecutive days when he made winning 3-pointers against Indiana on December 31, 2021, and against Washington the next day.
But DeRozan’s impact went beyond the shots he made – often leaving his defender in the air after a head fake. He was like a big brother in the locker room, especially to younger players like Patrick Williams, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu. DeRozan was known for hosting tough workouts and spending time with his family in Los Angeles during the offseason.
“I’m always humbled by any kind of appreciation.”
DeMar felt the love of Bulls fans upon returning to Chicago pic.twitter.com/4jL4Qab7GH
– NBA (@NBA) 12 January 2025
“It makes you question what you’re in this for and whether you really want to do this,” Williams said. “You look at somebody at that level, what he does to prepare over the summer. For me, it was kind of a mental question, like, is this what I want to do. If I say I want to be the best, that’s what the best do. Well, then that’s what I’m doing. There’s really nothing else to talk about. But I thank them for showing it to me.
Bulls coach Billy Donovan said that DeRozan “was very unique in the way he led.” So was Chris Paul, who played for him in Oklahoma City.
READ: NBA: DeMar DeRozan’s 27 points lead Kings past Raptors
“They’re different,” Donovan said. “But they are both great leaders. I think the biggest thing in leadership is that everyone has to stay true to who they are. I think there’s probably a lot of pearls of wisdom that all of those guys have taken from DeMar, but they need to be authentic and true to who they are instead of saying ‘I’m going to lead like DeMar.'”
DeRozan said he considers the young players his “sons”.
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“They’re still my sons,” he said. “Watching them grow, mature, even talking to them now means a lot to me because the respect will always be there.”
There was a lot of respect shown for DeRozan on Sunday.
“It was nice to get a chance to come back to a place where they loved you, appreciated you,” he said. “My three years here felt like 10 years. I enjoyed my time here. It was fun to go out and just goof around with all the guys I played with last year, just see the fans and everything. It was definitely good.
