DeMar DeRozan made history in the Bulls’ game against the Spurs. DeRozan became the seventh active player to score 20,000 or more career points. Ironically, this milestone came against his former team, where he hit a mid-range jump-shot from the free-throw line, a shot that has became his specialty throughout his career. After the shot, Spurs head coach, Gregg Popovich, called a timeout in order for DeRozan to get his moment for accomplishing this impressive feat. Despite DeRozan moving on from the Spurs, it is clear that the two still have a ton of respect for each other.
All class @spurs
Gregg Popovich called time out to honor DeMar DeRozan hitting 20K pic.twitter.com/omznCMEtMn
— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) October 29, 2022
Popovich had some high praise for DeMar too as he stated this:
“(DeRozan is) a beautiful, wonderful human being. One of the best that I’ve ever coached. I still stay in touch with him. He’s just a sweet man.”
DeRozan also had this to say when asked about the possibility of hitting the shot to get him 20,000 career points against his former team:
“Going back to a place that I spent some time, learned so much from, a place that embraced me, wasn’t nothing but love. And it was definitely a learning curve for me in my career at a critical time in my career — and Pop really helped me a lot in my career. I think it’ll be cool to be able to do it there.”
DeRozan is one of the best players in the league and he is proving it again this season.
DeMar DeRozan Becomes Seventh Active Player to Score 20k Career Points
DeRozan’s Start to the Season
To start off this young season, DeMar DeRozan is picking up right where he left off last year. He is already averaging 26.2 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.5 total rebounds per game. Not to mention, he is also shooting 52.4 percent from the field and also possesses a player efficiency rating of 23.5, the highest rating of his career thus far. He also currently has an offensive rating of 126 to go along with box plus/minus of 3.2.DeRozan has led the Chicago Bulls to a win-loss record of three and three so far, however, the season is still extremely young and many are still expecting to see Chicago in the postseason. Especially when you consider that the Bulls have a cast consisting of the likes of Zach Lavine and Nikola Vucevic alongside DeMar DeRozan.
DeMar DeRozan: His Career Impact
DeMar DeRozan has solidified himself as one of the deadliest mid-range shooters of his generation. For his career, DeRozan has shot 44.3 percent from 10-16 feet out from the basket. From 16 feet to three-point territory, he has a career average of 39.9 percent. In terms of his career averages of the usual numbers, DeRozan has averaged 20.8 points, 4.7 assists, 4.4 total rebounds per game, and a field goal percentage of 46.5 percent. In terms of being a leader, he has always been an unsung hero on all three teams he has played for in his career. While he may not have a ring, many, like Popovich, have praised his work ethic. Remember, before Kawhi Leonard came, he was a fan favorite in Toronto. Now, he is cementing himself into the hearts of Chicago Bulls fans.
Source: Basketball Insider
